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April is Autism Awareness Month. Autism spectrum disorders according to the CDC, 1 in 68 children are identified as having ASD. ASD can cause significant social, behavioral and verbal communication challenges. Medical News Today cites a study that suggests that autism among children in the United States and may be associated with a standard American diet. Dr. DavidWallinga, a physician at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) and co-author of the Clinical Epigenetics study says, “To better address the explosion of autism, it’s critical we consider how unhealthy diets interfere with the body’s ability to eliminate toxic chemicals, and ultimately our risk for developing long-term health problems like autism.”
An article written by Scientific American suggests that we may want to begin looking into environmental factors that contribute to the rise in the rate of autism. They suggest that dozens of chemicals in the environment are neurodevelopmental toxins such as mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, lead, brominatedflame retardants and pesticide. Neurodevelopmental toxins(neurotoxins) mean, they alter how the brain grows. Codex Alimentarius is an initiative of the World Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States. It was a voluntary initiative that encouraged countries to sign on and agree to use the same international food standards, guidelines and codes of practice. For instance, if you purchase a product such as beef from any participating country, then you know that it has been injected with the bovine growth hormone for BGH, which is a neurotoxin.
When you purchase fruits and vegetables:
* Buy ORGANIC when you can.
* Do not buy foods listed on the dirty dozen list (including the plus category).
* Purchase foods with low pesticide content when you can.
When you purchase Meat:
* Buy ORGANIC when you can.
* Look up what injections go into that animal via Codex Alimentarius
There is no cure for Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorders. However, being conscious, educated, and empowered with your dietary choices can assist greatly in the quality of our lives. Individuals diagnosed with autism or being on the autism spectrum are some of the most intelligent and creative people Ihave had or have the pleasure of knowing. The rise however in the numbers of individuals identified as have an ASD in such a short period of time however, is cause for alarm and immediate attention to the issue.
-Nakeasha Johnson(@NakeashaJ)
