Interesting Information: March 27, 2011
“Autism, Chemicals and Food Additives”
Jane Hersey’s eldest daughter “showed symptoms of autism until her diet was changed.” Says Hersey: “Most parents of autistic children do not realize that help may be as close as their kitchen cupboards.”
Autism in the United States has “increased from 1 in 2,500 children to 1 in 110 children.”
Ben Feingold, MD, a pediatrician and allergist, formed The Feingold Association, which explores the link between diet and behavior.
“Many parents have seen their children’s behavior and attention improve when they removed synthetic food dyes, artificial flavorings and certain preservatives from their diet.”
“Children’s increased consumption of petroleum-based food additives may account for some of this [autism] rise, given that there has been a fivefold increase in food dye consumption per person in the United States since 1955. (They even dye dill pickles yellow according to an article I read on food dyes in the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) newsletter–“Nutrition Action” in the past 6 months.)
“Try to limit your children’s exposure to scented cleansers, germicidal sprays, furniture waxes, room deodorizers, carpet and oven cleaners, insecticides, moth balls, oil-based paint and solvents like paint thinner.” Also, wash new clothes and linens to stop “the off-gassing of formaldehyde and fire-retardant chemicals used in many fabrics.”
Choose “toothpaste, mouthwash, medicines, vitamins, soaps and lotions that have not been synthetically colored, flavored or scented.” (I’d say if you have bad breath, eat more probiotics like those found in high-quality yogurt. Bad breath comes from your gut, not your mouth. Cavities are a sign of nutritional deficiencies, not unclean mouths. (See The Weston A. Price Foundation web site for more info.) (We use a half & half mixture of baking soda and sea salt, with a drop of essential peppermint oil on the toothbrush, to brush our teeth, and my gums have not bled at the dentists since I started using it.)
The Feingold Association (www.feingold.org, 800-321-32887) publishes a FOODLIST & SHOPPING GUIDE identifying safe products.
Jane Hersey wrote WHY CAN’T MY CHILD BEHAVE?
Jane Hersey’s article appeared in the March/April 2011 WELL BEING JOURNAL, 33-34. This issue has an excellent article by Sally Fallon Morell of The Weston A. Price Foundation: “Dirty Secrets of the Food Processing Industry.”
Louisa Enright's Blog 
Ah Louisa – if only the converted, the convinced, could unite, we might then be able to effect some change. Sadly, we are voices in the wilderness.
As a teacher of many years, I am horrified by what passes as food for children at schools. Parents seem unaware of the dangers of additives and processing, and canteens bent on profit, only add to the dangers.
The rising incidence in type1 diabetes,psoraisis, and juvenile arthritis should send warning signals to parents, but it would seem that most are happy to use drugs to remedy their children’s ailments.
Behaviour at schools has never been so bad. I attribute that to what is in their lunch boxes.
Have you ever considered the rising rates in autism could be because parents are not hiding the mentally retarded in basements like they did in the 50’s?
Natural products are not so safe as you would thing, heirloom potatoes and tomatoes have been known to contain high levels of atropine and cyanogenic glycosides, both of which have negative effects on neurological growth. These traits have long been breed out of the “non-organic” and “modern” strains of plants.
Autism is striking 1 in 110 and 1 in 70 boys. So, no, I don’t think parents hiding the mentally retarded in the basement is the answer. I do think amazing strides are being made with autistic children by changing their diets and cleaning up their dysfunctional digestive systems and getting them to eat healthier food. I agree with you that plants of all types have extremely powerful chemical packages that most people are unaware of. I will be writing several essays on that subject soon. Potatoes and tomatoes are, for instance, nightshades. I think the autism situation is likely caused by more than one single thing, and I’m strongly suspicious of the current vaccine schedule for infants. But, I also think that environmental issues that impact the issue are suspicious.
Hi Louisa! I found your article when I was searching for autism and the affects of chemicals in food. I have heard a lot about how chemicals can affect a child’s functionality, and your article is another that helps justify this type of claim. I own a company http://www.LiveESP.com that sells non-toxic products for the kitchen and on-the-go to help families eliminate toxic chemicals from the food and drink we consume on a daily basis. I want to help spread the word about safer products as best I can and hearing about the link with autism and chemicals makes me want to spread the word even further! I really think my site can benefit a lot of people and I hope I can have a positive influence on the lives of others. Could you email me? I’d love to talk to you and hear more about your story.