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‘How Fish Oil Unlocked My Autistic Son’
Maria’s son John Paul, was diagnosed as autistic when he was three, plunging his parents into a four-year nightmare. He had both a severe language disorder – unable to say more than two words – and learning disabilities which stopped him from communicating with the outside world. It was a casual chat with another mum from her son’s school which led to a new approach in helping John Paul.
“She told me about a programme on ITV about fish oils. As a result I started him on daily Eye Q supplements.
“The fish oil tablets seemed to wake him up and unlock something,” she said.
His speech went from a two-word level to seven-word sentences and he’s now even reading the Oxford school series. It’s the most natural thing in the world for a child to show love for its mother. But Maria Hutchings waited four years for her son just to hug her and say, “I love you.”
Maria’s son John Paul, was diagnosed as autistic when he was three, plunging his parents into a four-year nightmare. He had both a severe language disorder – unable to say more than two words – and learning disabilities which stopped him from communicating with the outside world.
“It’s awful having a child who is physically perfect but can’t understand what’s going on and is frustrated all the time,” the mother-of-four from Benfleet in Essex said.
“You go through phases. Firstly you grieve for the child you have lost – the one you envisaged. Then you think ‘I’m going to find the cure and make my child better.’”
But what Maria, 44, didn’t know was this quest for a cure would take years and life with John Paul would be a daily struggle.
“He had lots and lots of tantrums and even daily routines were very difficult,” she said.
“He likes things in a certain way so if someone wasn’t sitting in their usual chair at the dinner table then he would go absolutely ballistic, screaming and crying.”
Abandoned by the health authorities
“I used to ask him ‘What did you do at school today?’ and got nothing in response. As a parent that was devastating. There was no communication. I didn’t know when he was ill, or when he was happy or sad.”
Even getting John Paul diagnosed – essential for receiving treatment – was an uphill battle.
“You had to fight for a diagnosis and see a consultant. It cost £2,500 for a one-day assessment and again I had to struggle – in the end my GP paid for it.”
Maria and husband Stuart, 47, felt abandoned by the health authorities.
“It’s a feeling of being left in the wilderness. He hasn’t seen a consultant in a hospital for four or five years because as far as they’re concerned, there isn’t a cure for autism,” she said.
However, Maria was determined to find something that would improve John Paul’s condition.
“When you love your child so passionately you’ll do anything you can to help them.”
They tried homeopathy and cranial osteopathy – which encourages the release of tension and helped relax their son for short periods. They also paid £200 to get his hair and urine tested by a nutritionist and spent £80-a-month on the treatments they suggested.
The nutritionist believed John Paul could have a number of allergies and suggested withdrawing citrus fruits while giving replacement vitamin supplements.
“He needed seven, eight, nine supplements a day. We were hiding them in his food but when he worked it out he wouldn’t eat anything.”
In the end Maria saw that John Paul was becoming depressed and stopped the nutritionist’s approach.
“Life is so confusing for them anyway, without withdrawing the food they take comfort from.”
Fish oils ‘woke him up’
It was a casual chat with another mum from her son’s school which led to a new approach in helping John Paul.
“She told me about a programme on ITV about fish oils. As a result I started him on daily Eye Q supplements.
“The fish oil tablets seemed to wake him up and unlock something,” she said.
His speech went from a two-word level to seven-word sentences and he’s now even reading the Oxford school series.
See how John Paul’s drawing improved in a year
“From scribbling in black he painted a rainbow with bright colours. I don’t have wallpaper in my hall any more, just all of his pictures.
“I started to see a person coming out. He now wants to know what’s going on and is making his own decisions.
“I’d waited four years for him to say ‘mummy I love you’ and put his arms around me.”
He used to be very inert at school, taking out his frustrations at home. But his behaviour changed dramatically:
“The first thing people say to me now, is ‘isn’t he a happy boy’? He never had empathy, but now if he hits out he will turn around and say ‘I didn’t want to do that mummy, I’m sorry’.
“It’s as if he was at last at peace with himself.”
Now Maria’s whole family is on fish oil. While Maria and Stuart, John Paul, now 11, and her eldest daughter Victoria, 17, take capsules, her youngest two, five-year-old William and Harriet, 3, have bubblegum flavoured sachets.
Victoria saw her GCSE grades rise from predicted Ds to Bs. William, now has the reading age of an eight-year-old, and Harriet can concentrate for 20 minutes while her friends struggle to stay still for even short periods.
Maria is now using her personal experience in coping with John Paul’s condition to campaign on behalf of special schools.
Just last year, she stood up to Prime Minister Tony Blair on live television challenging him over recent special school closures.
“Labour wants to mainstream the pupils,” she said.
“But they need small classes with specialist teachers. The Government is closing special schools to save money.”
Frequent lobbying at the House of Commons has also attracted the attention of Conservative leader David Cameron, who has invited her to be part of an Improvement of Public Services Policy Group.
Meanwhile, her husband is setting up a web-based business about the nutritional discoveries they have made over the years.
“We found that most [pregnant] mothers are deficient in fatty acids needed for brain cell connections,” Maria says.
“If they are deficient how can they pass the levels needed for their babies?
“If just one mother is helped by this work, then it will be worth it.”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-373833/How-fish-oil-unlocked-autistic-son.html
The brain is 70-75 percent fat and requires fatty acids to function normally. This story is a wonderful example of this fact. Food heals. I use Tuna Oil in my practice for all patients with mental disorders, learning disorders, and especially autism. There are other brain foods that are essential for some. Allergies, detoxification, gut flora, and vaccine injury and detox should also be considered and dealt with as they apply. Homeopathy works wonderfully well for resolving these problems. Education is the key. Tell other parents your success.
Be well,
Dr. Susan Duve
http://www.duvewellnesscenter.com
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This is an amazing story on the potential health benefits fish oils may have for autistic children. Research shows there may be a connection between deficient levels of omega 3 fatty acids in a child and the increased risk for autistic behavior. Scientists found some children with low omega 3 fatty acids levels displayed more behavioral problems, temper tantrums, and learning difficulties.
Researchers at the University of Western Ontario recently confirmed a ‘gut-brain connection’ to autism. They discovered the digestive system produces compounds linked to autistic behavior, supporting the theory that what children eat can alter their brain function.
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Could also be vitamin D which is in fish oil. At least one current successful theory is that autism is worse with D deficiency. Beware of drawing the wrong conclusion
Keith Scott-Mumby MD, MB ChB, PhD
http://www.alternative-doctor.com
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Fish oil specifically? Omega 3s are in Flax seed oil as well. I would think this would be a safer alternative and much more sustainable.
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Dr. Webb Reply:
February 8th, 2010 at 2:30 pm
It must be an animal based oil high in EPA and DHA levels. As humans, we do not have the enzymatic capabilities to convert vegetable sources (ALA/GLA) to EPA/DHA in sufficient quantities……..Flax is useless to address our primary deficiency of EPA and DHA.
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For excellent clinical information on how “highly refined” fish oil helps all brain disorders, including Alzheimers, dementia, ADHD and other inflammatory problems read, “The OmegaRx Zone: The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil” by Dr. Barry Sears. Flax seed oil is a short-chain fatty acid and very ineffective compared with the long-chain omega3 fatty acids–DHA and EPA. Highly refined fish oil eliminates the oxidation problems with regular fish oil. Only highly refined fish oil can be taken in amounts high enough to solve inflammation problems. Check the website: “www.ifosprogram.com” run by the International Fish Oil Standard Program at the U. of Guelph in Canada to see if your fish oil is pharmaceutical-grade (highly refined). Many fish oils claiming to be Rx-grade are not. Click on Consumer Report and scroll down to check which companies’ fish oil has met the IFOS standard. You can tell by the price. Rx-grade fish oil is twice as expensive as health-store grade fish oil, but you get twice the EPA and DHA in Rx-grade so price works out about the same.
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Sue Kowalczyk Reply:
February 11th, 2010 at 1:10 pm
Thank YOU. To endorse your statement – my mother with dementia went on Dr. Sears Highly Refined Fish oils and went from a 6 word vocabulary to speaking in full sentences again.
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Omega-3 has long been known to be helpful for autism, however, I would go with a high quality fish oil over flax. Fish oil has the advantage over flax in that the fish enzymatically break down the Omega-3 into EPA and DHA. If someone is deficient in this enzyme which frequently happens one will be unable to break down the Omega-3 in flax or any other source.
There are several high quality brands on the market – look for a high concentration of DHA-(higher than EPA). You do get what you pay for.
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Tried Udo’s flaxseed oil for my 11 year old moderately functioning austisic daughter. Could not get her to swallow it no matter what I hid it in. It stinks and tastes awful. Nothing in this article mentions how the parents were able to get this son to swallow these fish oil tablets. Fish oil stinks even worse than flaxseed oil. Also, it seems the heavy metals that concentrate in the blood-brain barrier tend to be concentrated in fish oils, and these are the same that seemn to cause autism symptoms to worsen. She reacted very badly to some red-dyed popcorn – got hyperactive to the point where she ended up with a concussion when she ran into a metal pole at school. Later testing found the red dye in the popcorn to contain high levels of cadmium.
There is an advanced study being carried out by a pharmaceutical manufacturer that has FDA approval for a drug for Parkinsons’s disease on children with autism. That drug seems to hold the most hope of anything I’ve heard about other than GF/CF diets. I am waiting for thoise trials to end and that substance to become available and approved by FDAS for autism treatment.
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Kim Selle Reply:
February 9th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
I take Dr. Sears Fish Oil and it has no smell as it is so highly refined. I would check out his product as the mercury and other toxins have been filtered out.
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Good info here. A point to consider: It may not JUST be a dietary deficiency of Efa’s involved. Vaccines can damage the myelin sheathing protecting the cranial nerve systems; it is made up of Efa’s; any dietary Efa’s may well be having to go to try to repair that damage. (The optic nerve system is particularly high in need of them; thus possibly the main reason for dyslexia, and inability for the child to connect what s/he sees on paper with the concept of meaning to letters and words.)
The damage can come from the chick embryo cells that various vaccines are cultured on, as a Myelin Basic Protein (MBP) contaminant from those cells, causing the body to mount an immune reaction to its own MBP along with the intentioned ingredients of the vaccine; result: myelin damage, resulting in multi-nerve system outcomes The value of vit. D includes that it is an anti-fungal, and molds etc. can cause myelin damage too; including antibiotics based on molds (Penicillin, eg). Thus the value as well of clearing the body of yeasts/fungi like candida.
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There is a great deal of evidence that autism is caused by thimerosal (mercury)preservative and possibly the adjuvants in vaccines. See my article at http://www.cqs.com/autism.htm
The financial liability at stake – 1 million autistic kids times – is enough to explain why the vaccine manufacturers and the doctors who promote them cannot fathom this simple explanation. Kids that don’t receive any vaccines, such as the kids in Amish families – simply do not get autism.
EPA and DHA (which can only be obtained in fish oil, use ONLY molecularly distilled or certified mercury/PCB free oils such as Dr. Murray and Carlson) are just one part of a regimen suggested by the Autism Research Institute, which I recommend to everyone who has an autistic child. http://www.autism.com
Kind regards
Jonathan
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I do not have any family members with autism, but i do have a family member with severe eczema who also happen to be highly allergic to fish. In his case, homeopaths (not doctors, they just treat symptoms) recommended borage oil or borage capsules, which is rich in GLA (gamma linoleic acid). I wonder if this would be as effective in treating autism. Just be careful with dosage, since borage acts as a blood thinner.
Also, there is a great fish oil capsule that I take, that is virtually ‘burp-free’, Fisol, made by Nature’s Way.
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Personally, I prefer cod liver oil for my clients, because the vitamin D is required in balance with the omega-3 for most hormone production, and the vitamin A is a good antioxidant which also helps keep it fresh. Compared to taking separate supplements with artificial vit D, the cod liver oil seems to digest and absorb quite well.
Very minimal supplementation with cod liver oil kept my pre-eclampsia rate at near zero for approx 800 low income patients at a clinic where I worked. I only had 3 patients who would not spend the $4 to get some and take it, and sadly enough two of those did develop pre-eclampsia (the only cases I had) and one lost her baby because of it after I sent her to the hospital and they discharged her home instead of inducing her as ordered. The other providers had the usual 5-10%, even though I saw more of the high-risk patients than most of them did, because I was one of only 2 ob/gyn providers and the rest were family practice.
That’s a pretty statistically significant result if you pencil it out. Not bad for something so cheap. Even better if they can afford brands which are proven to be low-mercury.
Let’s keep the likes of McCain from banning our access to these foods, folks. Make phone calls.
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J. Campbell @Feb. 10th 10:20am:
Thanks for the link, Jonathan. A good article. I hope you can find the time to update it with newer info, relative to the argument now.
Lorri @1:58pm:
Very good info – but I have heard that some holistic docs don’t now recommend cod liver oil. I”m not sure what the problem is. The balance between omega3 and 6??
Anyway – keep the holistic info coming, folks. The public is well served by all this.
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The G-alpha proteins (also called Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins or simply “G proteins) are a family of enzymes located just under the cell membrane which are coupled to receptors located on the cell membrane. They function as “molecular switches” that turn on and off a variety of other necessary chemical reactions in the cell.In 1999 Dr. Mary Megson of the University of Virginia presented her research findings in regard to how G-alpha protein abnormalities in genetically susceptible children promote the autistic state. [Defeat Autism Now! (DAN!) Conference, 1999]. Her article, “Is autism a G-alpha protein defect reversible with natural vitamin A?” was published in the journal Medical Hypothesis in 2000 [54)6, 979-983].
Dr. Megson discovered that G-alpha protein receptors on the surface of cells were disrupted in autistic children with genetic susceptibilities to this defect. The abnormal G-alpha protein receptors found in autistic children were associated with defective receptors for retinoids (vitamin A and its chemical relatives) in the brain and intestinal tract.
Vitamin A is necessary for vision, the prevention of night blindness, sensory perception, language processing and attention. Autistic children typically have concerns regarding sensory issues, language processing and attention.
Children of families with a history of night blindness, pseudo-hypo-parathyroidism or an adenoma (a benign tumor) of the thyroid or pituitary gland were found to be more prone to this G-alpha protein abnormality.
Dr. Megson found a connection between the measles and pertussis vaccinations and G-alpha protein defects.
She discovered that the pertussis (whooping cough) toxin found in the DPT vaccine (normally injected at 2, 4, 6 and 18 months of age) separates the G-alpha protein from retinoid (vitamin A) receptors. It also promotes a chronic auto-immune reaction (an infiltration of a kind of white blood cell called a monocyte) in the deep layer (lamina propria) of the gut lining (mucosa).
This in turn leads to a chemical disconnect of the G-alpha protein pathways and the regulating retinoid (Vitamin A) switch, which then results in the non-specific branch of the immune system being turned on. Unfortunately, without the proper functioning of the retinoid switch the immune system can’t be turned off!! The end result is an inflamed intestinal tract.
The measles virus, part of the MMR vaccination (typically injected at 12-15 months of age and again at 4-5 years of age), also plays a role in the G-alpha protein problem.
The measles vaccination is associated with lower vitamin A levels, and only vitamin A in its natural form (as cis-retinoic acid) can activate the retinoid receptors.
The antibodies to the measles virus that form as a result of the measles or combined measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) immunization may also disrupt the “molecular glue” that connects one cell to another, which is so essential to cell-to-cell communication and gut mucosal integrity. The absorption of vitamin A from the intestinal tract requires an intact gut mucosal surface, the right acidity (pH) and the presence of bile.
Dr. Megson found that there is an important difference between natural vitamin A (“cis-retinoic acid-found in fish oils) and the synthetic vitamin A palmitate found in infant formulas and commercial vitamins.
The artificial vitamin A palmitate binds the free G-alpha protein and by so doing deactivates the “off switch” for multiple metabolic pathways involved in vision, cell growth, hormonal regulation and the metabolism of lipids (fats), proteins and glycogen, a storage form of glucose.
Fortunately, Dr. Megson was able to find a simple and inexpensive solution for this biochemical dilemma: cod liver oil and urocholine (Bethanecol).
This protocol has been used in over 500 patients without any side effects. In the first phase loading with vitamin A in its natural form, preferably from toxin-free cod liver oil) is started and continued for 2-3 months. This is followed by the introduction of Bethanecol, a parasympathetic nervous system stimulator that promotes the utilization of vitamin A in cells. Bethanecol can only be obtained by prescription from a licensed medical practitioner.
This treatment is especially effective for those experiencing any of the following symptoms: malabsorption, divergent gaze, speech delay, dry skin, poor social skills, night blindness, soft stools and dry eyes.
Fortunately, Dr. Megson was able to find a simple and inexpensive solution for this biochemical dilemma: cod liver oil and urocholine (Bethanecol).
This protocol has been used in over 500 patients without any side effects. In the first phase loading with vitamin A in its natural form, preferably from toxin-free cod liver oil) is started and continued for 2-3 months. This is followed by the introduction of Bethanecol, a parasympathetic nervous system stimulator that promotes the utilization of vitamin A in cells. Bethanecol can only be obtained by prescription from a licensed medical practitioner.
This treatment is especially effective for those experiencing any of the following symptoms: malabsorption, divergent gaze, speech delay, dry skin, poor social skills, night blindness, soft stools and dry eyes.
Fortunately, Dr. Megson was able to find a simple and inexpensive solution for this biochemical dilemma: cod liver oil and urocholine (Bethanecol).
This protocol has been used in over 500 patients without any side effects. In the first phase loading with vitamin A in its natural form, preferably from toxin-free cod liver oil) is started and continued for 2-3 months. This is followed by the introduction of Bethanecol, a parasympathetic nervous system stimulator that promotes the utilization of vitamin A in cells. Bethanecol can only be obtained by prescription from a licensed medical practitioner.
This treatment is especially effective for those experiencing any of the following symptoms: malabsorption, divergent gaze, speech delay, dry skin, poor social skills, night blindness, soft stools and dry eyes.
Dr. Megson had one patient, a boy of about 8 who had never spoken, and after starting him on the fish oil protocol he said to her,”When is my next appointment, Dr. Megson?” Those were his first words.
Fish oil works because it has the natural form of vitamin A in it (the pre-formed long=chain omega 3’s also help). Flax oil as has been pointed out is a poor choice because it not only does not convert to EPA and DHA (the long chain omega 3’s), but it has no vitamin A in it. Not every autistic child will repsond to this approach because all autistic individuals have their own geentic weaknesses and environmental insults. All that being siad a trial on a good fish oil product (no fishy smell and dioxin and mercury free) can do no harm (unless one is allergic to fish oil).
Alan Schwartz, M.D.
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