Interesting Article about Autism and Mercury Poisoning

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http://www.jashbotanicals.com/articles/mercury_autism_debate.html


The Great Debate The CDC (Center for Disease Control) defines epidemic as “The occurrence of cases of an illness in a community or region which is in excess of the number of cases normally expected for that disease in that area at that time.” Recent studies show that ASDs (Autistic Spectrum Disorders) are ten times more prevalent than they were just a decade ago increasing from 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 150.

Autism is the second most common developmental disability, next to mental retardation. The presence or absence of an autism epidemic continues to be a hot topic of debate in schools, medical circles, and the media. Moreover, whether or not toxic metals contribute to and/or cause autism adds to the heat of the debate.
Autism is a brain disorder that affects a person's ability to communicate, form relationships with others, and respond appropriately to the environment.

Autism is typically first diagnosed in children between birth and 30 months of age. Before 1912, There Was No “Autism” Swiss psychiatrist Eugene Bleuler first used the term in a 1912 journal, developing it from the Greek word autos, meaning “self”. Even so, autism went unrecognized as a specific condition until 1943 when Dr. Leo Kanner (Baltimore, MD) wrote a paper on the disorder. Kanner’s dissertation was followed by a report from Dr. Hans Asperger (Vienna, Austria) that described a similar condition, known today as Asperger Syndrome.

These two papers were the first attempts to explain the complexities of Autistic Spectrum Disorders. In the 1950s, Dr. Bruno Bettleheim, one of the first specialists in childhood disorders, coined the term “refrigerator mothers”.

Until the mid-1960s, the medical community embraced Bettleheim’s belief that autism was an environmental disorder, caused by women who didn’t nurture their children and appropriately respond to their needs.

In 1964, Dr. Bernard Rimland proved that Bettleheim was in error and published a review that established autism as a biological illness.

 In 1994, the National Alliance for Autism Research (NAAR) was established, dedicated to funding and intensifying biomedical research into ASD (autism spectrum disorders). Researchers began looking at possible genetic causes of autism and linking the disorder with abnormalities in several chromosomes.

The Autism Tissue Program was initially established and funded in 1998 by NAAR, and the Autism Society of America Foundation.

The study of post-mortem brain tissue is a valuable resource that allows scientists to study autism on both a cellular and molecular level.

Even today, there is no single definitive cause of autism. The disorder has run the gamut from classification as an environmentally caused disorder to that of a genetically caused illness. However, recent evidence suggests that the first classification, an environmentally caused disorder, wasn’t entirely in error, although today’s environmental suspect radically differs from the first one.


 The Great Debate - What Causes Autism? 

 Some researchers argue that the rise in diagnoses is attributable to additions to diagnostic criteria, reclassifications (from autism to ASD), public awareness, and availabilities of federally mandated programs. Whatever the reason, the global explosion in diagnosed cases of autism over the last decade has brought rise to a number of different opinions as to the causes of autism. Many fingers point at thimerosal as one of the culprits.

Thimerosal is a mercury based preservative (about 50% mercury) previously used in some childhood vaccines, and still used in many current types of vaccines. Sallie Bernard, the executive director of Safe Minds, believes that mercury — especially thimerosal, is a likely cause of the increase in cases of autism. When a panel convened by the independent Institute of Medicine (IOM) reviewed the evidence and flatly rejected the idea that vaccines containing thimerosal could cause autism, Bernard wasn't convinced. A comprehensive study from the M.I.N.D. Institute in California (2002), asserts that the increase is genuine, despite peripheral factors.

 One point of view recognizes that if no discernible increase in autism exists, funding will continue to be directed towards genetic research instead of focused on environmental causes like toxic metal poisoning. Autism & Mercury Poisoning - Two Peas in a Pod? In a Pittsburg Tribune-Review article, Autism and Vaccines, (May 2005) journalist Liz Hayes pointed out a significant link between autism and mercury poisoning. Thimerosal was introduced in the 1930s for use in vaccines, shortly before autism was identified. Hayes’s article also cites the belief of Dr. Scott Faber, a specialist in neurodevelopmental disabilities and behavioral pediatrics at the Children's Institute in Pittsburgh, that “there is emerging evidence that heavy metal build-up in the body can cause the neurological impairment seen in autism.”

In addition, victims of autism and mercury poisoning share many of the same symptoms. loss of coordination speech difficulties repetitive body movements short attention span irritability (temper tantrums) loss of memory depression Autism and mercury poisoning both damage the: brain/nerve cells, eyes, immune system and digestive system. Genetic weaknesses may combine with mercury poisoning to result in autism. In a recent news release, the Pfeiffer Treatment Center (PTC) announced the discovery of defective functioning of metallothionein protein (MT) as a “distinctive feature” of autism.

The release observes, “This abnormality (believed to be genetic) results in impaired brain development and extreme sensitivity to toxic metals and other environmental substances. This disorder is often unnoticed in infancy and early childhood until aggravated by a serious environmental insult.”

The news release goes on to state, “The discovery of disordered metal-metabolism in autism may lead to early identification of autism-prone children, prevention of regressive autism, and improved therapy outcomes.” Whatever the outcome in research, the discovery of disordered-metal metabolism in autism is a beacon at the end of the tunnel for parents of autistic children; a light that has moved many parents to investigate the benefits of chelation therapies – treatments to rid their children of mercury and other heavy metal poisonings.

Bio-Chelat and LL Magnetic Clays are chelation therapies, that when used in tandem, have achieved significant results in improving the well being and performance levels of those who have been impacted by chronic heavy metal toxicity. Read on for the facts about Bio-Chelat and LL Magnetic Clays. Whether or not the “experts” decide autism is at epidemic proportions, if you have an autistic child, the epidemic has found its way into your home.

One point that many experts agree on is that there is a strong probable link between toxic metal poisoning (particularly mercury toxicity) and autism. Fortunately, there are safe, non-intrusive therapies available that can help eliminate toxic metals from your autistic child’s system with a definite probability of improving his or her overall health. Bio Chelat & Magnetic Clay: Hope-filled Therapies for Autistic Children LL's Magnetic Clay is easy to use, inexpensive, works quickly, has no side effects, and because it’s an all-natural product, is extremely safe for any body. Use it in the privacy of your own home. LL’s Magnetic Clay requires neither a prescription nor a visit to your family doctor Although LL’s Magnetic Clays weren’t developed as therapies for any specific health problems, Lau'ana Lei, the founder and owner of LL's Magnetic Clay, reports that parents of autistic children have found the clays to have incredible healing effects in cases where heavy metals or chemical toxins contribute to ASDs. Used in tandem with Bio-Chelat™, as the chelator releases trapped metals from tissues and organs, the clay baths draw them from the body, completing the elimination process.

A patented oral chelation therapy from Germany, unlike many other chelation agents, Bio-Chelat™ is well documented with clinical trials. It was especially developed for use by those with chronic heavy metal poisoning. Chronic metal toxicity is a probable link to autism. It differs from acute heavy metal poisoning in that acute poisoning usually results from one single large dose of heavy metal exposure while chronic poisoning is the result of toxic metals that adhere to bodily tissues, like brain cells, and remain in the body over time. Bio-Chelat™ is an alternative to synthetic chelation therapies that is as simple, effective, inexpensive, and easy to use, as LL’s Magnetic Clays.

Bio-Chelat was first developed and clinically tested in Germany and has been introduced to North America by Dr. Thomas Nissen, a scientist and doctor. It has some very special and unique properties that set it apart from others synthetic chelators such as DMPS, DMSA, and "High Dose" IV EDTA. Bio-Chelat™ is a patented chelator that is composed of a very dilute solution of Disodium EDTA (200 mg per 100 ml bottle), mineral salts, and a small amount of an oxidative catalyser. Because of the addition of the oxidative catalyser which loosens the molecular bonds of the heavy metal ions with the cell's protein where they are lodged in the tissue and organs, only a tiny amount of EDTA needs to be used for maximum effectiveness.

Thus, there are NO SIDE EFFECTS with Bio-Chelat™. It does not affect or harm the liver or gastro-intestinal tract. Clinical studies in Germany have proven the safety and effectiveness for children as well. Other chelators such as DMPS and DMSA may pull more metal from the body than they can hold, dropping extra heavy metal ions back into the intestinal tract. The highly compressed DisodiumEDTA in Bio-Chelat™ grabs onto the heavy metal ions including mercury ions, and does not let go of them until they are safely eliminated from the body.

One of the many advantages of Bio-Chelat™ is that it eliminates heavy metals without disturbing beneficial trace elements and minerals. In a German clinical trial, zinc was the only mineral that needed replenishment due to loss. Bio-Chelat™ gently pulls heavy metals from tissues into the blood stream, allowing the body to eliminate them through natural elimination channels, like the pores of the skin. One of the most difficult parts of parenting is watching helplessly as our children struggle to succeed.

New therapies like Bio-Chelat™ and LL’s Magnetic Clay offer help to autistic children and their parents as well as the hope of reversing the autism epidemic.


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