Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) often experience feeding and eating issues, such as food avoidance, picky eating, disordered eating, and insistence on specific food presentation. As a result, avoidance of specific foods or restricted food intake can lead to nutritional or energy deficits, thereby altering the child’s metabolism. Additionally, the child’s preference for energy-dense food with low nutrition can lead to the accumulation of oxidative radicals, causing both mental and physical adverse consequences.
Nutritional supplements for autism can be most helpful for filling the nutritional gaps in the diets of children with ASD. This post explains the effects of diet and nutrition in affected individuals, the common nutritional supplements for providing support in ASD, and, in particular, how butyric acid supplementation can help specific ASD symptoms. Use the links below to jump ahead to different topics on the page.
Effects of Diet and Nutrition in Children with ASD
Children with neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism, are very often picky eaters and prefer so-called “junk food” (carbohydrate-dense and calorie-dense foods that are high in sodium and low in nutritional value). These individuals find it particularly challenging to adapt to new foods and to new food rules. The introduction of a new food can cause disruptive behavior. Hence, new foods should ideally be introduced in phases to ensure familiarity with the food’s taste and texture.
The following table highlights various dietary approaches utilized by parents to help manage symptoms in ASD children.
| Dietary and Nutritional Approaches for Children with ASD | |
|---|---|
| Vitamin and Mineral Supplements |
Many vitamins and minerals act as coenzymes and neurotransmitters for multiple biochemical enzymatic reactions. Low levels or the absence of these key vitamins and minerals in the diet of a child with ASD can result in impaired metabolic functioning. |
| Gluten-free Diet | Increased intestinal permeability, or ‘leaky gut,’ is often observed in ASD-affected children. A potential increase in peptide formation in these children is hypothesized to be due to incomplete or improper breakdown of foods containing gluten and casein. As a result, a gluten-free diet is a popular choice for parents raising a child with autism. |
| Complementary and Alternative Medicine | Mind-body approaches, such as yoga and music therapy, as well as body-based practices, such as chiropractic care, aromatherapy, and massage, are some of the complementary and alternative approaches to alleviate ASD symptoms. |
| Probiotics |
The gut microbiota is closely associated with neurological well-being. Several studies have reported abnormal gut bacteria composition in children with ASD, with the affected children often suffering from gastrointestinal problems that correlate with ASD severity. |
Gut-Microbiota-Brain Axis in ASD
What is the Gut-Microbiota-Brain Axis?
The gut microbiota refers to the microbes (primarily bacteria and fungi) that live in the gastrointestinal tract. The enteric nervous system (ENS) comprises millions of nerve cells and is often referred to as the ‘second brain.’ The gut-microbiota-brain axis connects the ENS and the central nervous system (CNS) through the vagus nerve.
The Correlation Between Gut and Brain Health
The diversity of the gut microbiome fluctuates with diet and environmental exposures. Children with ASD usually have more limited food choices than neurotypical children, and this selective diet affects the gut microbial community. Changes in the gut microbiome can also alter the synthesis of microbial products, including metabolites, such as short-chain fatty acids, vitamins, and certain compounds that act as neurotransmitters.
For example, as much as 90 percent of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, are produced in the gut. Therefore, changes in the gut microbiota may affect serotonin signaling in both the gut and the brain.3 Serotonin, along with other metabolites, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), act as neurotransmitters, with the vagus nerve serving as the direct pathway for communication between the brain and the gut.
Common Supplements for Autism
Multvitamins, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, and magnesium are some of the most commonly utilized supplements for helping to manage autism. In addition, sodium butyrate, alpha-lipoic acid, selenium, milk thistle, cannabidiol, melatonin, and liposomal curcumin are also used to help manage ASD symptoms. The following table highlights several key nutrients that are often used in nutritional supplement form for helping to manage autism.
| Common Supplements for Autism | |
|---|---|
| Omega-3 fatty acids | Omega-3 fatty acids are important for normal brain structure and function because they promote the production of the lipid-based signaling molecules necessary for normal cellular communication and immune function. |
| Vitamin B12 | Vitamin B12 inhibits the toxicity of nitrous oxide (N2O), a known risk factor for exacerbating ASD symptoms. |
| Vitamin D3 | Vitamin D plays a crucial role in the developing brain during pregnancy and early childhood. A vitamin D deficiency can exacerbate adverse neuropathologies, including ASD. |
| Butyric acid | Butyric acid is both an intracellular signaling molecule and an energy substrate for colon cells. Studies indicate that butyric acid benefits gene expression in ASD. |
| Folinic acid | Folinic acid, the reduced form of folate, helps stabilize cerebrospinal fluid folate concentrations, which can improve the neurological symptoms associated with ASD. |
| Probiotics and digestive enzymes | Nutritional supplements comprised of probiotics and digestive enzymes help restore normal gut microbiota and limit the gut’s production and absorption of toxins. |
Delivery Methods for Key ASD Nutrients
Although some nutrients indicated for helping to manage symptoms of autism are used as monotherapies, others are used in multi-nutrient formats. The common delivery routes for supplements for ASD include oral, intravenous, enteral, and intramuscular.
For example, vitamin B1 (thiamine) is well absorbed and can be administered orally, enterally, or intravenously. Vitamin B7 (biotin) can be given orally or intravenously. Although most folate supplements for autism are administered orally, they can also be administered through intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous injections. Vitamin B12 supplements indicated for ASD management can be taken orally, subcutaneously, or intramuscularly. Vitamin D can be administered through oral or intramuscular routes.
Omega-3 fatty acids, butyric acid, probiotics, and digestive enzymes for ASD management are usually taken as oral supplements.
Butyric Acid Supplementation in ASD
What is Butyric Acid?
Butyric acid is a short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) produced in the large intestine from the fermentation of carbohydrates, such as dietary fibers, by the gut microbiota. SCFAs are a type of postbiotic — the bacterial products or metabolic byproducts produced by gut microbes during the anaerobic fermentation of organic nutrients. Butyric acid then becomes a key energy source for colon cells, in addition to beneficially influencing cellular functioning throughout the body including intestinal cells, adipose cells, hepatocytes, pancreatic cells, and blood vessels via various signaling pathways.
Benefits of Butyric Acid Supplementation in ASD
In children with ASD, their altered gut composition is often characterized by an elevated level of SCFAs, particularly propionic acid.4 Butyric acid is a potential agent for helping to restore energy metabolism in these individuals.
Furthermore, butyric acid can enhance gastrointestinal health by up-regulating the activity of white blood cells in the colon, which helps maintain the gut’s normal inflammatory response. As a key energy source for colon cells, one study found butyric acid enhances mitochondrial function during oxidative stress in cell lines in boys diagnosed with autism.5
Frequently Asked Questions About Supplements for Managing Autism
The following are frequently asked questions (FAQs) about nutritional supplements for managing autism.
When should I begin a nutritional supplement if my child is exhibiting ASD symptoms?
Earlier dietary intervention can be ideal for managing ASD symptoms. However, consult your child’s pediatrician to be made aware of the side effects and potential contraindications of any dietary intervention, including the use of nutritional supplements.
What should I look for when selecting a supplement for managing autism?
The efficacy of any nutritional supplement depends on both the active nutrients in the formulation and their optimal absorption and bioavailability. When considering either a nutritional supplement or a medical food for autism, you should look for the desired ingredient to be the active nutrient in the formulation.
Advanced nutrient delivery nanotechnology will ensure the optimal absorption and bioavailability of the active ingredient to ensure it achieves its health-promoting benefits. Tesseract’s AuRx® is an advanced butyric acid formulation that addresses a specific nutritional requirement of children with ASD. This hypoallergenic medical food is a stabilized butyric acid complex that provides nutritional support to counteract the gut-brain nutrient imbalance in autustic children. AuRx opens up the possibility of mitigating behavioral changes faced by children with ASD.
The power of Tesseract supplements lies in enhancing palatability, maximizing solubility, absorption, and bioavailability, and micro-dosing multiple nutrients in a single, highly effective capsule. Shop products on our website and learn more about how they support neurological health.
References:
1Adams JB, et al. BMC Pediatrics vol. 11 111. 12 Dec. 2011, doi:10.1186/1471-2431-11-111
2Kang D-W, et al. Microbiome vol. 5,1 10. 23 Jan. 2017, doi:10.1186/s40168-016-0225-7
3Yano JM, et al. Cell vol. 161,2 (2015):264-276. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2015.02.047
4Lagod PP, Naser SA. International Journal of Molecular Sciences vol. 24,24 17432. 13 Dec. 2023, doi:10.3390/ijms242417432
5Rose S, et al. Translational Psychiatry vol. 8,1 42. 2 Feb. 2018, doi:10.1038/s41398-017-0089-z
