Autism rates have increased dramatically over the past several decades.
In the 1960s and 1970s, autism was estimated to affect just a few
children per 10,000. Today, the CDC estimates that approximately 1 in 36
children in the United States is identified with autism spectrum disorder
(ASD).
That is a staggering increase.
The standard explanation is that better awareness, broader diagnostic
criteria, and improved screening account for much of the rise. There is
certainly truth to that. Children who may have been overlooked decades ago are
now more likely to receive an accurate diagnosis and support.
But many researchers believe that explanation does not tell the whole story
when the numbers increase to 1 in 36!
Could environmental factors be contributing as well? More specifically,
could the dramatic changes in our food supply be affecting the developing
brains of future generations?
A growing body of research suggests we should not dismiss the possibility
and with my background with a PhD in Holistic Health Sciences I would say this
area is a major factor in the spread of ASD.
The Food Experiment Nobody Talks About
Think about what your great-grandparents ate…their diets included butter,
eggs, cream, lard, tallow, meat, vegetables, and food prepared from scratch.
What they did not have were the industrial seed oils that now dominate
processed foods. Today, soybean, corn, canola, sunflower, and other vegetable
oils are found in everything from salad dressings to restaurant meals and
packaged snacks.
Most people consume them every day without giving them a second thought.
Yet from a historical perspective, these oils are relatively new
additions to the human diet.
A Study That Raises Important
Questions
A recent study published in Psychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences
examined umbilical cord blood and found that elevated levels of certain
metabolites derived from arachidonic acid were associated with greater autism
symptom severity later in childhood.
One compound, called diHETrE, stood out (good luck pronouncing that word!).
This is what is called an inflammatory metabolite and children exposed to
higher levels of this substance during fetal development appeared more likely
to experience greater challenges related to ASD symptoms.
To be clear, this study does not prove that seed oils cause autism.
What it does suggest is that compounds produced from certain dietary fats
may influence neurodevelopment during pregnancy.
Why Fat Quality Matters
To answer this, we need to turn to the omega-6 fatty acid linoleic acid
which is abundant in modern seed oils. While linoleic acid is an essential
nutrient, the amount consumed today is dramatically higher than what humans
historically ate.
As a matter of fact, researchers estimate that linoleic acid intake has
increased more than tenfold over the past century. When we consume linoleic
acid, it can be converted into arachidonic acid which helps produce compounds
involved in inflammation and immune function.
Inflammation itself is not bad. We need it to train our system for when
it needs to defend itself.
The concern becomes whether excessive inflammatory signaling during
critical periods of development could influence long-term health outcomes.
Because the developing brain is especially vulnerable during pregnancy,
researchers are increasingly interested in how maternal nutrition and
inflammation affect fetal brain development.
Autism Is a Complex Puzzle
Autism is strongly influenced by genetics. Researchers have identified
numerous genetic variations associated with autism risk.
At the same time, genetics alone cannot explain why autism diagnoses have
risen so dramatically over a relatively brief period.
This is why many scientists are exploring interactions between genes and
environmental exposures, including nutrition, toxins, metabolic health, gut
health, and inflammation during pregnancy. All of these factors can impact when
genes turn on or off.
So, the reality is that autism is likely influenced by multiple factors
working together and that maybe Grandma was onto something!
Plus, Grandma didn’t have to be concerned about eating organic or
conventional foods since everything was organic in her time.
Modern research seems to bring us back to traditional foods, such as
eating:
- Butter
- Eggs
- Whole milk
- Homemade soups
- Slow-cooked meats
- Farm-fresh foods
Were their diets perfect? Of course not.
But they consumed far fewer ultra-processed foods and significantly lower
amounts of industrial seed oils.
The Bottom Line
If you’re wanting to become pregnant or are pregnant, the smart thing to
do would be to eat like your great grandma did.
If you have children, you want to feed them that way, too, since these
highly processed foods can affect children in all kinds of ways. You don’t want
to be looking back and saying to your kids…oops…you want to be able to say we
did our best to protect you!
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