Many of us know children or families affected by autism in some form. Over the years, the number diagnosed with autism has dramatically increased. Throughout the nation, the numbers of autistic children have increased dramatically over the past 15 years. Autistic children have problems communicating and interacting socially; the symptoms usually are evident by the time the child is a toddler. You can read more on the symptoms and issues with Autism at scientificamerican.com.
Many see the disadvantages of autism because of the communication and behavioral difficulties that are present with autism. On the flip side of the coin, people with autism have amazing memories, and they can remember small pieces of information they learned weeks ago. “Recent research has shown people with autism often outperform others in auditory and visual tasks, and also do better on non-verbal tests of intelligence. In one study by Laurent Mottron, MD, Ph.D., on a test that involved completing a visual pattern, people with autism finished 40 percent faster than those without the condition.
In fact, intellectual disability may be over-estimated among people with autism, because researchers use inappropriate tests, Mottron said. “In measuring the intelligence of a person with a hearing impairment, we wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate components of the test that can’t be explained using sign language; why shouldn’t we do the same for autistic?” Mottron said.- See more at livescience.com“
Autism is such a unique condition, it is a wonder where the causes and factors that lead to autism come into play. With recent studies, the medical industry has been able to link autism with exposure to specific chemicals and toxins in our environment. It is important to note that these are links, not confirmed causes. There are a lot of factors involved in the increased in diagnosis and correlations with toxins. I’ve done my research on both ends, reading articles that describe the link or lack-of-evidence linking autism with chemicals such as GMOs or Herbicides. I am going to specifically address one major toxin that is linked to Autism: Glyphosate.
Glyhphosate is the active ingredient in Roundup and used in Genetically Engineered (GE) or Genetically Modified foods. I researched and read various studies, articles and opinions, and boy is the world of autism and chemical/toxin contribution murky.
We are delving into some muddy waters here, but I am focusing on just one chemical I believe we can protect ourselves from, and there is substantial evidence surrounding.
I also read articles playing devils advocate, which made valid points on the lack of substantial, quantitative evidence for these links and statements.
If you want to read a good article on the lack of evidence and play devils advocate for this case, check out this at geneticliteracyproject.org.
Moving into the deeper waters of chemicals and brain development, specifically autism, let’s get straight to the research on Glyphosate and Autism.
Dr.Mercola recently did a report in his site discussing the possible connection between Glyphosate exposure and Autism. Glyphosate is used in Genetically Engineered (GE) crops. Mercola.com posts A new peer-reviewed report authored by Anthony Samsel, a retired science consultant, and a long time contributor to the Mercola.com Vital Votes Forum, and Dr. Stephanie Seneff, a research scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), reveals how glyphosate wrecks human health. They basically give the run-down of the dangers. The danger is discussed particularly pertaining to autism development in addition to allergies, obesity, gastrointestinal issues, cancer, infertility and an array of chronic diseases and development. The reason this article is worth mentioning and most striking, is because of the in depth study and discussion with genes and enzyme activities when exposed to glyphosate. Read through the article for the specifics, but I found this statement most astounding pertaining to Autism:
“Dr. Seneff identified two key problems in autism that are unrelated to the brain yet clearly associated with the condition—both of which are linked with glyphosate exposure (starting at 10 minutes into the interview, she gives an in-depth explanation of how glyphosate causes the many symptoms associated with autism):
Gut dysbiosis (imbalances in gut bacteria, inflammation, leaky gut, food allergies such as gluten intolerance)
Disrupted sulfur metabolism / sulfur and sulfate deficiencyInterestingly, certain microbes in your body actually break down glyphosate, which is a good thing. However, a byproduct of this action is ammonia, and children with autism tend to have significantly higher levels of ammonia in their blood than the general population. Ditto for those with Alzheimer’s disease. In your brain, ammonia causes encephalitis, i.e. brain inflammation.”
Further, in 2014, Dr. Sennef reported that US mothers have an unacceptably high amount of glyphosate in their breast milk. Dr. Nancy Swanson, a former US Navy staff scientist has collaborated and worked with Dr. Seneff in these studies. They’ve meticulously and obsessively collected statistics and patterns between the rise of Glyphosate and Autism. You can read more about the findings and research at lifeprevention.com, infants will have autism, that’s how serious this research is.
Another article goes so far to state that by 2025, over half the newborns will be diagnosed with autism. How crazy is that?! That’s in just 9 years, even though it sounds really far away. For me personally, my grandchildren could have autism despite the lack of genetic predisposition and solely because of our environmental factors.
What spoke to me on Glyphosate specifically is that this chemical can’t be washed off our produce. It penetrates the walls of the cells, so you won’t be able to protect yourself just by washing your fruit. To protect yourself, you have to buy non-GMO foods. That’s the nut of the bolt. There isn’t really any other option. You also have to avoid using Round Up in your home. Mother Nature Network published a great article on how you can protect your family from GMOS. That topic is worthy of a post on its own, but see the article at mnn.com. There’s also a non-gmo shopping guide for download at nongmoshoppingguide.com to get you started immediately.