Oxalates and Autism
This past weekend Dr. Paul Anderson, spoke a lot about endogenous toxins – i.e. ‘toxins’ that are produced in the body. ‘Toxins’ because at the level some of these organic acids are at (although can be a non-event at ‘normal’ levels), can cause disruption in health if not eliminated properly. It got me thinking about how often I’ll see oxalate build up in a number of my patients with autism. Now…a wise (old…not so old actually!) man told us not to talk about oxalates online lol…however, I’m going for it!
Enter patients with autism. Clinically what I see often in this population are two things (amongst many other symptoms that can guide you to answers on how to support) dysbiosis and inability to eliminate properly. Often times when I want more insight into the disruption of health, I’ll run an Organic Acid Test.
On that note…testing! How can we take a look at this? Using organic acid testing is a great way to understand this. There are three metabolites on the test that are indicative of high oxalates in the body. Then looking at symptoms and external environment to find and assess root cause.
Oxalates come from a few different sources – fungal growth, foods, and lastly, our bodies can produce it.
Children with autism often present with dysbiosis in their gut. This can be very apparent (digestive symptoms – gas, bloating, abnormal frequency and consistency in stool) or not so much (for example, a child who presents with a digestive system that seems to be working well, however may have skin issues, immune dysfunction and/or hypersensitivities, ADHD like hyperstimulation, aggression, abnormal sleep patterns or speech apraxia, to name a few).
When a child has dysbiosis, specifically a yeast or fungal overgrowth, you’ll always (hmmm, maybe I shouldn’t say always) you’ll often see the markers under oxalate metabolism, high.
How do we treat this?
One of the pillars of naturopathic medicine is to treat the root cause so we do just that. Understand the source of the fungus (is this a yeast over growth in the body? Is this an external effect such as a mould in the home?), remove the source, and help to eliminate it from the body. Treatment type depends on what fungus is found.
Secondly, we support the body’s emunctories – these are routes of elimination – digestion, kidneys, liver, lungs etc. It is important that these are working properly so we don’t have the fungus that is released from hiding spots in the body, floating around causing harm to various organs (aggravation is what its called…)
Lastly – we also want to support the body to eliminate the actual oxalates so as not to enhance symptoms of dysregulation. How do we do this? We make sure that the cofactor that helps this breakdown/elimination process, is in abundance: Vitamin B6 in its correct form. As well, using minerals including mg are beneficial to flush oxalates too. And although so simple, water water water!
We also know that oxalates can be hard on other organs in the body such as the kidneys. Using vitamin E and omegas (which are also good supports for the liver to function effectively) are beneficial to fend off any damage to this organ.
As all patients with autism are complex, multi-faceted, and layered, supporting the body to rid itself of oxalates is not the only answer to supporting the overall vibrant being, however, one piece of it that can make a huge difference in their overall health.
Questions? Ask away!
Signed off with a big hug!
Dr. Hillary