I read this book review on an online media website and my thoughts, as they so often do, turned to implications for ASD and the impact of our environment on children and their development. It is hard not to read the article, especially the Q&A portion with the author, and conjure up images of discussions within the autism community, especially this comment:

Did anything really surprise or shock you in your research?

“Two things were shocking. We exposed ourselves to all kinds of daily products and measured our blood before, during and after that exposure. After doing those experiments, we found elevated levels of the chemicals in our blood. So, for example, I’ve been doing mercury research for about ten years but I’d never actually consciously sat down, eaten a bunch of tuna and measured my levels. I found that my mercury levels almost tripled in a few days, just by consuming several tuna meals consecutively.”

As anyone involved with autism in some capacity is painfully aware the discussion of mercury as an underlying causal agent in some ASD’s is heated and everpresent.  It is usually in regard to vaccinations, but the recent change in position of many of the most vocal autism groups (Green our vaccines campaign) has moved, to some extent, away from that line of causality.  Never the less, I find it incredibly interesting what the author found regarding his mercury exposure from eating tuna.  I also remember reading a review of a scientific paper that showedd a correlation (yes, I know what that means and does not mean) between autism rates and environmental mercury levels in Texas.

For me this just confirms that anyone that dismisses the idea that some ASD’s can be manifestations of environmental exposure to toxins is naive or has their “head in the sand”.  This book, which I might consider trying to read, sounds like it may provide some rudimentary, anecdotal data on how exposure to everyday items can have a profound impact on our internal environment. Now consider the impact for pregnant mothers and unborn babies as they develop.

Perhaps there is something to the “detox” aspect of alternative autism treatments.  At best it is helping and at worst it is unlikely to be doing any harm and is just making your bank account lighter.  I don’t think I would go so far as to support full chemical chelation as a good option for all ASD’s, but it is undoubtedly appropriate in some cases and should be considered as option for some.  Would we do this with K?  Not likely, not without some good compelling evidence from medical tests that it was warranted.

Anyone have any thoughts on the subject?  Please let us know what you think.

Related posts:

  1. A Brief Jenny McCarthy book review I recently finished reading Jenny McCarthy’s new book about her son and his recovery from autism. As I’m sure this book has been talked about...
  2. Immunocal Presentation I recently attended an information session regarding a nutraceutical product and some of the research behind it and its benefits. I must say that initially...
  3. Toxicity abounds I am not a supporter of Age of Autism or any other organization, with the exception of a nascent local advocacy group, and don’t know...
  4. The autism-vaccine debate rages ever on. I was reading some of the Autism-related blogs that I frequent when I came across an article on one dad’s opinion that is discussing the...
  5. Autism Books Readable Online I have stumbled across numerous full text books online as I have been searching for some ASD related topic. I hope to use this post...