John Hopton for redOrbit.com @Johnfinitum
Autism is an affliction that worries all parents-to-be, and an increasingly large number of children are developing the disorder (currently one in every 68 American newborns). But a high profile doctor believes that we can have a massive impact on the problem simply by making sure that mothers and young children get enough vitamin D.
Doctor John J Cannell MD is about to release a book entitled Autism Causes, Prevention and Treatment: Vitamin D Deficiency and the Explosive Rise of Autism Spectrum Disorder in which he uses decades of research to demonstrate a link between vitamin D deficiency and autism. He spoke to redOrbit about how pregnant women can obtain safe levels of vitamin D through supplementation and sunlight, and how sun exposure is not the evil it is currently portrayed to be.
Just within the last several weeks there was a ground-breaking study published in which they tested about a hundred families who had one child with autism and at least one child without, Dr. Cannell told us. They went back and got blood from when they were born, and found that the child with autism had much lower vitamin D levels than did the typically developing child.
Vitamin D levels have strong genetic components, he continued. You can overcome that genetic component by taking supplements or exposing yourself to the sun, avoiding the lottery of inherited vitamin D levels. A familys chances of experiencing autism can be greatly reduced by making sure the mothers have plenty of vitamin D and giving vitamin D to the infants.
Increasingly its becoming clear that all mothers around the world should be at least tested for vitamin D deficiency, Dr. Cannell says. But he adds that about 75 or 80 percent of mothers would need vitamin D supplements or sun exposure. Instead of blood testing millions and millions of women, its probably wise to just give pregnant women the appropriate levels (5000 units per day in his view) of vitamin D supplementation.
We have forgotten that the suns rays are healthy
As for that sun exposure, Dr. Cannell says that there is no need go out and get sunburnt, but it is important for pregnant women to get a little sun exposure often. He points out that the current Surgeon General is a dermatologist, who gives terrible advice in telling people to avoid the sun altogether. He says that for most of human history: We were semi-naked in the summertime, hunting and working, and stored up vitamin D to use in the winter. Even in the 60s and 70s, before the autism epidemic was with us, there were no sunblocks on the market.
Cannell says that: We recommend using sunblock on your face and your hands. The rest of your body should be free of sunblock, and you should only sunbathe for five or ten minutes at first, then you can extend the time a little bit more. People who burn easily can just go out for a minute or two. Its also important to note that you cant make much vitamin D if your shadow is longer than you are (i.e. in the evening). Remember the shadow rule! He advises.
Some people may quite reasonably prefer a natural diet to get their vitamins over supplements, but Dr. Cannell says that regular food does not contain any vitamin D in any appreciable quantities. Only obscure foods such as wild oily fish and reindeer meat contain decent amounts, and plenty of sun and supplements are by far the best methods of getting enough. I would think that at least half of the cases of autism cases could be prevented with sufficient supplementation, probably more than half, he suggests. Thats a lot of children.
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Autism can be avoided and treated with vitamin D, doctor says