What milk is best for autism?

A2 milk and autism

Cow’s milk and the link to diseases, such as autism, have been a long debated topic. Reading the papers this weekend (a happy indulgence on a wet and windy day) I was interested to see an advert for A2 milk. I had been hearing rumours of its imminent arrival from NZ shores and as it was a subject I hotly debated for a recent MSc (Nutritional Medicine) assignment. I was hot on its trail… so what is this new phenomenon in milk production

Table of contents:

• How do you know if the milk you drink is A1 or A2?
• So what does BCM-7 do that is ‘so bad’ for our health?
• Does it do this to all of us?
• My thoughts so far

Milk from dairy cows has long provided a high-quality source of protein and selected micronutrients such as calcium to most populations. The differing structure of the beta-casein portion of the milk protein determines whether a milk is type A1 or type A2.

Among the natural health industry, consumption of cows milk has been questioned as a contributory factor in certain diseases (diabetes and autism for example) for some time. According to epidemiological research, populations that consume milk containing high levels of type A2 milk have a lower incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 1 diabetes. Furthermore, consumption of milk with the A2 variant may be associated with less severe symptoms of autism and schizophrenia.

How do you know if the milk you drink is A1 or A2?

A1 is the most frequent in Holstein-Friesian, Ayrshire and Red cattle. These are the breeds used for commercial milk production. In contrast, a high frequency of A2 is observed in Guernsey and Jersey cattle (the main type of cattle used for milk in New Zealand).
Research has shown that Type A1 milk is digested differently from A2 milk and that the digestion of A1 milk results in the production of a compound known as bioactive peptide beta-casomorphin 7 (BCM-7). The BCM-7 level is estimated to be 4-fold higher in Type A1 milk than in A2 milk. Herein lies the health concern…

So what does BCM-7 do that is ‘so bad’ for our health?

BCM-7 is highly bioactive and shown to act as a powerful morphine-like opiate (similar to heroin). This can pass through the gut defences, travel through the bloodstream to the brain and block certain areas, interfering with normal brain function. Its opiate-like structure means that it stimulates numerous opioid receptors in the nervous, hormone, and immune systems suggesting that it may promote neurological disorders such as schizophrenia and autism.

Does it do this to all of us?

In The Devil in the Milk, Keith Woodward states that the absorption of BCM 7 is much less in people with good gut function and in healthy developed adults. This parallels the GAPS theory of Dr Campbell McBride who vehemently believes that digestive health, and specifically the status of the healthy bacteria in the gut, determines whether or not the absorption of BCM-7 can occur.
There has been some evidence to suggest that infants may be especially vulnerable due to an immature gastrointestinal tract. However, the evidence to date is preliminary and needs further research.
The gut-brain link and role of A1 milk within this is an area of research currently being funded by the Autism Research Institute.
The proposed link between autism and other neurological diseases with gluten and casein has been around for a long time. The treatment of consuming a diet free of these two proteins has been investigated at length with conflicting results. The results of the recent ScanBrit study (2010) suggest that dietary intervention may positively affect developmental outcome for some children diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder, but the recent Cochrane Study stated that evidence for the efficacy of gluten and/or casein exclusion diets is poor and consequently large-scale, randomised, controlled trials are needed. However, neither of these tested the hypothesis that A2 milk is better for neurological conditions.

My thoughts so far….

There is no doubt that further research is needed. However, despite the integral role robust research plays in my practice as a nutritional therapist, I am not limited by it. I cannot ignore the anecdotal evidence and, for what it is worth, my hunch that this may offer benefit to those who change to A2 milk. I for one will be watching the developments in this area of research with great interest.

If you want to read more about this I can highly recommend Brent Bateman’s subtly titled book ‘Don’t drink A1 milk! The Nutrition Factor: A bold perspective’

Which milk is good for autistic child?

Dairy is also problematic because it is considered one of the most pro-inflammatory foods in the Standard American Diet. According to a growing body of evidence, including a 2018 study in Pharmaceuticals, inflammation is strongly associated with autism and is also commonly linked to immune system dysfunction.

What is the best diet for a child with autism?

A healthy diet for people with autism means eating whole foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, eggs, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. Foods naturally higher in vitamins and minerals are good for autism. However, processed foods that have had many (or most) nutrients removed should be avoided.

Is yogurt good for autism?

Casein is the main protein in dairy products such as cow’s milk, cheese, yogurt and ice cream. Some research has shown that this diet may improve some symptoms of autism like hyperactivity and communication, but it has not shown to improve digestive symptoms.

How can I help my autistic child gain weight?

Close to 80% of autistic children are reportedly suffering from picky eating and sensory issues that make eating a challenge itself.
.
Tips to Help ASD Children Gain Weight Safely

1. Cashews.
2. Walnuts.
3. Brazil nuts.
4. Pistachios.
5. Almonds.
6. Pine nuts.
7. Hazelnuts (not Nutella because it’s almost all sugar)

5 Foods You Should Avoid For Children With Autism

What improves autism?

The most common developmental therapy for people with ASD is Speech and Language Therapy. Speech and Language Therapy helps to improve the person’s understanding and use of speech and language. Some people with ASD communicate verbally.

What is the fastest way for a kid to gain weight?

To help your child gain weight, try increasing their portion sizes at mealtimes, especially for starchy foods such as bread, rice, pasta and potatoes. Alternatively, if your child finds it hard to eat larger portions, try increasing the energy density of your child’s meals, until they have reached a healthy weight.

Is banana good for autism?

Bananas. Besides being an all-time children’s favorite, bananas are super rich in magnesium and potassium. These minerals are known for their ability to relax tight muscles, which is excellent for autism stiffness. Bananas also contain amino acid L-tryptophan, which gets converted to 5-HTP in the brain.

What is a safe food autism?

Autistic culture has coined two terms to describe our relationships with our favourite food: safefood and samefood. Safefood is a food that brings us joy, comfort, and peace when we eat it. Samefood is a food that we have grown so attached to that we can, or do, eat it every day.

What helps calm autism?

7 Relaxation/Self-Calming Strategies Used in Pediatric ABA.

• Don’t reinforce the challenging behaviors. .
• Use precise simple language. .
• Help to verbally express their emotions. .
• Sing preferred songs. .
• Create a calm corner (bean bags, dim lighting, sensory toys) .
• Take deep breathes. .
• Count to 10.

What foods affect children with autism?

Many parents report that their children’s autism symptoms and related medical issues improve when they remove casein (milk protein) and gluten (wheat protein) from their diets. However, casein/gluten-free diets can increase the challenge of ensuring adequate nutrition.

What are the newest treatments for autism?

Just two drugs — the antipsychotics risperidone and aripiprazole — have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat autism-related irritability.

How do you teach an autistic child to talk?

Here are our top seven strategies for promoting language development in nonverbal children and adolescents with autism:

1. Encourage play and social interaction. .
2. Imitate your child. .
3. Focus on nonverbal communication. .
4. Leave “space” for your child to talk. .
5. Simplify your language. .
6. Follow your child’s interests.

Which food is not good for autism?

The strongest direct evidence of foods linked to autism involves wheat and dairy, and the specific proteins they contain – namely, gluten and casein. These are difficult to digest and, especially if introduced too early in life, may result in an allergy.

Is protein good for autism?

Protein Shakes Can Have Detoxifying Benefits

The accumulation of oxidative stress in the GI tract has been linked to modifications in brain chemistry and increased severity of autism behaviors, suggests Frontiers in Psychology.

Is Potato good for autistic child?

90-95% of the autism diet should include:

Meat. Fish – see healthy fish guide. Vegetables – no white potato and minimize sweet potato.

Is Chicken Good for autism?

Keeping chickens and a chicken coop are now also being praised as therapeutic for people on the autism spectrum. People who keep chickens are getting those with autism involved in feeding and caring for the chickens which promote self-help and independent living skills.

When do autistic toddlers talk?

Although typically developing children generally produce their first words between 12 and 18 months old (Tager-Flusberg et al. 2009; Zubrick et al. 2007), children with ASD are reported to do so at an average age of 36 months (Howlin 2003).

Why is my autistic child always hungry?

Causes of overeating in autistic children and teenagers include habit, obsessions, unpredictable mealtimes and sensory sensitivities. It can help to keep snack foods out of reach or sight, replace snacks with other activities and aim for predictable meals.

What vitamin is good for autism?

Supplements to Consider for Autism

• Vitamin D. Vitamin D has been found to have an effect on the neurotransmitters in the brain. .
• Oxytocin. Oxytocin is a chemical that is produced naturally within the brain. .
• Vitamin B6 and Magnesium. .
• Melatonin. .
• Omega- 3/Fish Oil. .
• NAC. .
• Sulforaphane. .
• Methyl B-12.

Can autistic kid go to normal school?

Can children with autism attend regular school? Of course they can, but it is important to have accommodations in place that support the special learning needs of a child on the spectrum.

Does massage help autism?

Clinical studies show that various types of massage reduce a child’s anxiety, improve his/her linguistic abilities and social communication, and increase his/her tolerance to touch; when an autistic child’s tolerance to touch increases, his/her aggression and anxiety diminishes.

Which milk is best for weight gain?

Even though all types of milk are rich in protein and beneficial nutrients, remember that the higher the fat content, the greater the number of calories. So, if your goal is weight gain, whole milk may be your best choice.

Which fruit is good for weight gain?

Dried fruits, such as dates, prunes, apricots, figs, sultanas, currants, and raisins, contain more calories than their fresh counterparts, making them great options for healthy weight gain.

What is the vitamins to gain weight?

Top 5 Vitamins to Help You Gain Weight

• B Vitamins. If you have a vitamin B deficiency, you may have an eating disorder. .
• Vitamin D. One of the most important vitamins, Vitamin D allows you to gain weight if used correctly. .
• Vitamin C. .
• Iron. .
• Protein.

Bioinorganic Chemistry and Applications

Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications of Bioinorganic-Based Nanomaterials for Environmental Pollution Hazards

Research Article | Open Access
Volume 2022 | Article ID 6422208 | https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/6422208
Show citation

The Application of Natural Camel Milk Products to Treat Autism-Spectrum Disorders: Risk Assessment and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials

Mahmoud Kandeel
1,2 and Wael El-Deeb
Show more
Academic Editor: Sivakumar Pandian
Received 06 Apr 2022
Revised 28 Apr 2022
Accepted 09 May 2022
Published 27 May 2022

Abstract

Camel milk is better tolerated than the milk of other ruminants, potentially expanding its consumer appeal. It also contains essential vitamins, minerals, and immunoglobulins, providing the milk with antioxidant, antibacterial, and antiviral properties. These properties may reduce oxidative stress in camel milk consumers, ameliorating many conditions, including those of the CNS, such as autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). We performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in which camel milk administration (boiled or raw) was examined as an ASD treatment intervention. The primary endpoint was participants’ total autism scores, determined using the Childhood Autistic Responsiveness Scale (CARS). A comparison of the responsiveness in these ASD intervention groups yielded a mean difference (MD) of 1.99 (0.89, 3.08) in those consuming boiled camel milk, MD = 2.77 (1.92, 3.61) in raw camel milk consumers, and MD = −1.02 (−0.10, 2.13) in cow milk consumers. Heterogeneity was notably low among the examined studies. Treatment of ASD with raw and boiled camel milk resulted in significantly lower CARS scores than the placebo. Our findings support the development of larger, more populated RCTs to establish camel milk’s overall potential as a therapeutic intervention for CNS disorders.

1. Introduction

In many countries, milk has long been a staple component of the human diet. Currently, cow milk production is a significant cause of environmental concern, as it leads to substantial carbon/methane emissions, water pollution, soil erosion, and over-foraging. In contrast to cows, milk-producing camels, primarily reared in the Middle East and North Africa, are considered eco-friendly, low-waste animals [1]. Camels generate less than half the carbon emissions of dairy cows and are more efficient milk producers. Furthermore, their milk is considered more nutritionally beneficial. Recently, camels have been associated with MERS-CoV, an emerging coronavirus [2, 3]. Although there are unresolved questions regarding the zoonotic aspects of MERS-CoV, specific camel milk antibodies may also provide coronavirus cross-protection [4].

Researchers have demonstrated the therapeutic value of camel milk in managing diabetes [5–7], hepatitis B [8], hepatitis C [9], Helicobacter pylori infections, enterocolitis, lactase deficiency in children [10, 11], pulmonary tuberculosis [12], liver cirrhosis [13], and cancer [14]. Furthermore, the unique composition of camel milk includes multiple protective proteins such as lysozymes, immunoglobulins, and lactoperoxidase, making it similar to human breast milk and serving to protect against infection and bolster immunological responses [15, 16].

Camel milk is also low in cholesterol, lactose, and fat content [17] and high in vitamins and minerals, most abundantly sodium, magnesium, zinc, copper, and potassium [18]. Specifically, camel milk has higher concentrations of vitamins A, B2, C, and E [19, 20] and higher zinc and iron concentrations than goat or cow milk. Moreover, camel milk contains a relatively high amount of polyunsaturated fats and linoleic and linolenic fatty acids, which are essential for human nutrition [21]. The IgA and IgG immunoglobins in camel milk provide significant protection against viruses and bacteria. Casein is the primary protein found in camel milk, and its association with other whey proteins supplies albumin, immunoglobins, and lactoferrins. Furthermore, lysine, threonine, valine (all essential amino acids) and glycine are predominant in camel milk [22].

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a collection of developmental impairments manifested by challenges in communication and interpersonal interactions, stereotypical behaviors, and limited interactions. Early studies demonstrated that ASDs were significantly heritable [23] and have been observed to exhibit high phenotypic heterogeneity regarding presentation during human development. However, the root cause of ASD remains undetermined and, at times, contentious. A strong association has been found between ASD development and autoimmunity [24], based on the high prevalence of brain-specific autoantibodies in the brains of children with autism. The mechanism of autoantibody development in the brain is still not adequately understood. Some have speculated that they trigger autoimmune reactions in neurons via cross-reactive neuronal antigens [25]. Furthermore, oxidative stress [26, 27] and genetic polymorphism [28] have also been proposed to be involved in ASD pathogenesis. One study revealed that an increased number of neuropeptides in the brain could be responsible for neurogenic inflammation in ASD pathogenesis [29].

The correlation between camel milk consumption and protection against inflammation [30], hepatotoxins, carcinogens [31], diabetic complications, autoimmunity, and multiple sclerosis associated with ASDs [32, 33] has increased the global demand for camel milk products [34]. Multiple studies have examined camel milk as a potential alternative and supplemental therapy for ASDs. To assess this body of work, we performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the use of camel milk to treat various CNS conditions. Our results reveal that patients treated with raw or boiled camel milk had lower Childhood Autism Responsiveness Scale (CARS) scores, indicating that camel milk may reduce neuroinflammation or autoimmunological responses associated with ASDs.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Objectives

In accordance with guidelines established by the Preferred Report Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA), a PICO (Population, Intervention, Comparison, and Outcomes) strategy was employed to analyze the contribution of camel milk consumption to reductions in ASD-associated behaviors as measured by CARS.

2.1.1. Population

The meta-analysis included patients diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorders (ASDs).

2.1.2. Intervention

The intervention was the administration of raw or boiled camel milk and cow milk (as a placebo) in ASD patients. CARS scores were measured before, immediately following, and two weeks after administration in all the RCTs included in this meta-analysis.

2.1.3. Benefit Comparison

We compared the benefits associated with camel milk administration in ASD treatment using the following measurements: CARS and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) scores; blood plasma concentrations of myeloperoxidase, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione; serum levels of thymus and activation-regulated chemokines (TARC); and the autism evaluation checklist.

2.2. Search Strategy

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, EMBASE, PubMed, and Web of Science medical databases were searched for RCTs. There was an electronic search for any active clinical trials on the topic. Other potential studies were also found using the Google Scholar search engine. Cited references within the peer-reviewed journal articles were also searched manually.

Keywords indicated the search approach. We extracted literature from 2000 to 2022 using a search method including the English language and chronological filters. The following search terms were used to generate eligible literature: camel milk, CNS diseases, autism, or ASDs.

2.3. Eligibility Criteria

2.3.1. Inclusion Criteria

Studies with abstracts and articles included in the meta-analysis met the following inclusion criteria: (1) reported risk estimates, (2) provided novel research results or included RCTs, (3) conducted no earlier than the year 2000, (4) detailed CNS diseases, and (5) reported in the English language.

2.4. Study Selection and Data Synthesis

Two researchers conducted a standardized and systematic review of the relevant available data. Each analyzed database was utilized in conjunction with the inclusion criteria to determine if an abstract was included or omitted from consideration. Each researcher selected and reviewed individually the full-length papers that were accepted for consideration. In cases where the primary author’s information could not be obtained, the chief researcher validated the discrepancies independently. After reaching a consensus, any conflicts that arose were analyzed and resolved to provide data with the greatest degree of transparency.

2.5. Data Analysis

Data derived by a thorough search of the medical databases for eligible criteria were tabulated in the study identification. The country in which each study was conducted and other demographic characteristics of the included studies were included in the analysis. Perceived outcomes from each study were also included in the tabulated file, showing all relevant characteristics of each study.

Since all included studies included data from RCTs, a meta-analysis was conducted using the Cochrane tool for systematic reviews and meta-analysis. An inverse variance weighted random model was utilized to calculate the risk ratio using a 95% confidence interval of dichotomous data and a standard mean difference of continuous data. Heterogeneity was also measured for all expected outcomes, with results of

considered statistically significant.

2.6. Risk of Bias

The efficacy of an intervention might be underestimated or overstated due to flaws in RCT design, methodology, analysis, and reporting. The technique developed by the Cochrane Collaboration to measure bias risk attempts to make the process more transparent and accurate [35]. To reduce bias, we employed obfuscated randomization, explicit inclusion and exclusion procedures, the blinding of the study, individual screening, blinded data processing, and intention-to-treat analysis. The total risk of bias in the studies was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook Tool for Risk of Bias [35]. The studies were categorized as demonstrating a high, low, or uncertain probability of being biased. Data from sequence construction, allocation concealment, participant, staff, and result assessor blinding, inadequate data, selective outcome reporting, and other risks were included in the overall risk of summary bias (Figure 1).