Autism and Kids: The Untold Story of Why Autism has Become a Major Epidemic
by Donna Gates for SixWise.com

Autism is one of the most mysterious and challenging conditions facing conventional medicine today, but it need not be. Contrary to popular opinion, autism isn't the congenital condition that it was once assumed to be. It is preventable, and even treatable, once you understand the underlying conditions and causes that bring it about.

At the heart of autism, which now affects one in 166 children (and the rates continue to rise according to government statistics), is almost invariably inadequate nutrition and an imbalanced inner ecosystem.

What's an "Inner Ecosystem?"

Inside your digestive system -- your gut -- are trillions of bacteria, both good and bad. Quite simply, to be healthy the friendly organisms must greatly outnumber the unfriendly ones. If the bad bacteria have crowded out the good bacteria, your cells cannot get the nutrients they need and their performance within your body will suffer.

Many children with autism do not have sufficient microflora (good bacteria) in their guts to adequately receive the nourishment they need from their digestive tracts or to support a healthy immune system. In fact, groups like Defeat Autism Now (DAN), which was started by doctors whose children have autism, have found that these children consistently have:

• Severe intestinal dysbiosis (an imbalance of bacteria in the digestive tract)

• Systemic fungal and viral infections

• Mineral deficiencies

• Abnormal serotonin levels

• An abundance of toxic materials including pesticides, mercury and other heavy metals

All of these things are related and affected by the inner ecosystem, and many of the physical symptoms associated with autism, including bloating, stomachaches and diarrhea, can also be attributed to this imbalance of bacteria.

Why Don't Our Children Have Strong Inner Ecosystems?

Establishing a healthy inner ecosystem, which also determines the effectiveness of the child's immune system and ability to digest nutrients and remain free of toxins, begins at birth.

As the child travels down the birth canal, he's meant to be "inoculated" with good bacteria from the mother -- a crucial step in building the child's ecosystem. Unfortunately, most women (and men, for that matter) today are so lacking in good bacteria themselves, that they pass on, quite unintentionally, mostly pathogenic bacteria and yeasts to the child, rather than the good bacteria the child needs.

This means the child's immune system does not get a chance to develop fully, and then, compounding things, they're typically given vaccinations, which douse the child with toxic metals like mercury and aluminum (adding to those that have already been inherited from the parents) that may cause the child's brain and nervous systems to stop functioning as they should.

Further, as the child grows older they're not fed the proper foods they need to correct this rough start.

How Balancing the Inner Ecosystem can Treat and Prevent Autism

Diet is indeed key to treating autism (and it's milder forms including Asperger's syndrome, ADD, ADHD and ODD), and the typically recommended gluten-free, casein-free diet is a good start. However, what children first need is to rebalance their inner ecosystems by adding plenty of good bacteria (also called probiotics), in the form of fermented foods and drinks, to their diets. In other words, they need a probiotic-rich diet.

These essential foods lay down a critical foundation for establishing a healthy inner ecosystem in the intestinal tract and follow nature's way of building strong, healthy immune and digestive systems.

Soon after incorporating fermented foods like cultured vegetables and fermented coconut water into their diets, autistic children are able to digest high-quality fats essential to becoming well.

These fats include things like raw butter and raw cream (which may contain insignificant amounts of casein), rich in the raw, saturated fatty acids (like those in mother's milk) that nourish the brain and intestinal lining. Some other key foods include:

• Anti-fungal and antiviral coconut oil

• Cod liver oil (for the essential fatty acids DHA and EPA and vitamins A and D)

• Unrefined seed oils such as pumpkinseed oil (zinc), flax seed oil (omega 3), evening primrose and borage oils (GLA)

• Raw, casein-free Ghee (fatty acids)

• Undenatured whey protein (to increase glutathione levels, which helps with the detoxification of toxins)

• Later, fermented, organic raw milk (kefir) with casein

Once children begin to eat these foods, they're able to finally establish a healthy inner ecosystem deep within the intestines. Next, chronic and acute bowel dysbiosis begins to heal, which corrects the nutritional deficiencies, strengthens the adrenal glands and conquers the systemic infections that have all been adding to the child's autistic condition. It's truly an amazing reaction.