Premium
A whole foods diet with omega‐3 and vitamin D supplementation is associated with improved health outcomes in children with ASD
Author(s) -
Franck Jennifer,
Kansy Matt,
Noel Sabrina,
Tucker Katherine L
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.27.1_supplement.lb404
Subject(s) - autism , dyslipidemia , medicine , obesity , population , vitamin d and neurology , physiology , vitamin , insulin resistance , pediatrics , endocrinology , environmental health , psychiatry
Children on the autism spectrum have numerous metabolic abnormalities that are often not well controlled and can lead to early chronic disease. Children with ASD often consume very limited diets that tend to be high in processed, simple carbohydrate type foods, which has been associated with an increase in chronic disease risk factors including obesity, dyslipidemia, and elevated insulin secretion/resistance. We pilot tested an intervention with children admitted to our residential program for severe autism. The intervention included a diet of predominantly whole foods, low carbohydrates proportionally (30–45%), plant based, with higher levels of healthy fats (i.e. monounsaturated, pastured animal products: approx 35%), with supplementation of omega 3 fatty acids (350mg EPA, 230mg DHA QD), and vitamin D3 (500–2,000IU QD) for a mean of 12 months. Here we present the results for 5 of these children (boys only) ages 16 to 19 y. After a mean of 9 months on the intervention diet, we saw decreases in total cholesterol and triglycerides, which approached significance (p=0.06), with no significant change in body weight. These results suggest that provision of a mainly whole foods diet with supplementation of omega 3 fatty acids and vitamin D3 could have an important effect on children on the autism spectrum and may reduce their risk of chronic disease. Further research in this population is warranted.