A Holistic Treatment Strategy

27^th July 2018

Central to the holistic management of most childhood disorders is an understanding of the Brain-Immune-Gut Triangle, which includes understanding the multitude of :-

• Behaviour
• Mood
• Chronic sleep issues
• Communication difficulties
• Inappropriate sensory responses
• Over stimulated nervous system

The gut microbiome, the brain and the immune system are all communicating with each other and in an intricately well-connected system. Over the last number of years, new researches show that the microbiome, the 'bacterial ecosystem' that is home to trillions of microorganisms and bacteria, is connected to the brain and the immune system and plays a crucial role in modern day conditions such as anxiety, depression, obsessive compulsive behaviours, mood disorders and so on.

Understanding this crucial connection will help parents know that the best place to begin their child's healing journey is with the gut. And this is especially the case in autistic children, when these parts of the body are not fully developed, and can be thrown out of balance easily.

For example:

• A child's blood-brain barrier (BBB) is not fully intact until at least two years of age, leaving the nervous system highly susceptible to damage.
• A child's digestive lining is still somewhat 'leaky' and their liver detoxification pathways are immature. This means young children are not fully capable of handling toxins effectively and may experience increased levels of systemic inflammation and oxidative stress in response to even minimal toxin exposures.
• A child's immune system is still developing in the first years of life, rebalancing itself from an allergy dominant state (called Th2) when born, to a more balanced state (called Th1/Th2 balance).

To re-establish balance to a child’s Brain-Immune-Gut-Triangle requires the management of dietary, lifestyle and environmental factors that may be causing the problem in the first place. This balance can be easily affected by numerous factors prevalent in our modern, industrialised world, including:

• Micronutrient deficiencies
• Diet
• Dysbiosis (gut bacteria imbalance)
• Leaky gut
• Impaired detox capacity; and/or
• Heavy metal exposure.

Nutritional supplements that can help support your microbiome

When it comes to selecting the right supplements, it can be overwhelming to know which is best for your child. However, when our goal is to optimise their microbial health, here are a few key supplements you might want to consider:

1. Probiotics are the good bacteria that work on our behalf to keep us healthy. When our gut is well looked after, our good bacteria (especially those that reside within the gastrointestinal tract), have a chance to flourish and get to work in supporting many critical aspects of our health. From supporting our energy and mood levels, regulating immune function, keeping glucose levels in check, helping us absorb the nutrition from our foods, and playing a distinct role in digestive health and regularity - the presence of good bacteria in our system quietly determines how we feel each day.

   With diligence, it is possible to get a sufficient intake of probiotics from your food and spending time outdoors; however, because probiotics are living organisms, it can be difficult to receive a consistent, maximised dosage that can help shift you into a more balanced state of health. By taking an effective, natural probiotic supplement like MedlabMultibiotic, you can help ensure that you're getting a high number of these powerful good guys into your system on a daily basis.

2. Magnesium: A crucial mineral required for the function of hundreds of enzymes in the gut. The National Institutes of Health recommends that the average person should consume between 320 mg and 420 mg of elemental magnesium each day - preferably through your diet to maximise the absorption of this important nutrient.

   If you can't get enough magnesium into your diet through foods alone, a high-quality magnesium supplement (eg LifeCare Magnesium) can help improve immune health, help with digestion and regularity, and assist in converting insulin into energy. Magnesium is also a cofactor for the neurotransmitters that affect social reactions and emotion which can benefit children who are autistic. It also improves the effectiveness of vitamin B6 therapy.

3. Fish Oil:

   Many studies implicate inflammation of the white matter of the brain as a common thread in children diagnosed on the Autism spectrum. One aspect of fish oil, is its effect on the gaze aversion that afflicts so many children with autism. The rods in the retina of the eye are very responsive to the supplementation of DHA.

   Dr. Mary Megson, a developmental paediatrician in the States, has found that the reason that children with gaze aversion will seem to look away from a parent’s face is because, when looking directly at the face, all they see is a white block. Thus, they use their peripheral vision to at least get a glimpse of what they are looking at.

   With proper amounts of DHA, this gaze aversion disappears, or is greatly reduced by 85%. Besides affecting gaze aversion, parents report increased socialisation, speech, bladder control and sensory processing after even a short while of this supplementation. It has also helped many children struggling with ADHD, Dyslexia, and Bipolar.

   The healthy fats in fish oil are said not only to prevent temporary inflammation and to promote optimal brain development. New research about fish oil’s relationship with our microbiome continues to show how it can be beneficial to our health. Fish oil has a high amount of dietary fiber which nourishes the good bacteria living in our gut environment.

4. L-Glutamine: L-glutamine is the most abundant, naturally-occurring amino acid in the human body. However, blood levels of this amino acid are found to be low in autistic individual. L-Glutamine is critical because they fuel white blood cells, support the immune system, help to build and repair muscle tissue, and metabolise the proteins from our food. Meat, fish, poultry and other seafood contains L-glutamine, but you can also get it from protein-rich plants like cabbage, dried lentils, peas, and beans too.

   When it comes to one’s microbiome, studies have shown that L-glutamine can positively affect our immune response, help heal the intestinal wall (reducing gut permeability) and help balance your intestinal microflora. Leaky gut syndrome can exacerbate autistic symptoms.

5. Vitamin D: An important aspect of a healthy microbiome is oral health because the gut starts in the mouth. Vitamin D helps lay the groundwork for oral health by functioning as an anti-inflammatory and stimulating the production of antimicrobial peptides in the oral cavity - allowing for a balanced oral microbiome and a better immune response overall. High dose vitamin D therapy reverses autistic behaviours in severely deficient children. Maternal vitamin D deficiency may predispose children to autism.

   By supplementing with these beneficial micronutrients and other nutrients, you can further improve your child’s chances of staying healthy and promote balance in their microbiome.

For further information, please call to speak to our pharmacist.

Please contact us at 03 8900 4989 or drop us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to discuss a suitable formulation or for further enquiries.