Autism, in essence, is a chronic disorder that primarily affects children. However, unlike most other pediatric diseases, it’s pretty rare. As per a report by the CDC, the condition usually affects one in 40 toddlers.
Nonetheless, due to its severe symptoms, there’s a lot of stigma surrounding the disease. So, let’s take care of that first.
Autism – A Brief Introduction
Autism, medically referred to as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a lifetime development disorder. As we’ve mentioned before, it predominantly affects individuals during adolescence and carries out throughout their lives.
Psychologically, the ailment affects the cognitive skills of an individual. For example, if you have autism, you’ll find it challenging to communicate, socialize, learn something new, and be emotionally responsive.
According to a physician, autism can sometimes cause ADHD or OCD in children due to the inability to focus on something specific.
What Causes Autism?
Unfortunately, the exact cause of autism is still unknown. Nonetheless, some doctors consider the following issues to be a potential risk factor for its development –
- Genetic mutations
- Having a family member who’s suffering/suffered from autism
- Certain metabolic imbalances
- Genetic disorders like having fragile X syndrome
- Low birth weight
- Exposure to medications induced with thalidomide and valproic acid (during the fetal period)
- Being born to elderly couples
According to NINDS, both the environment and genetics of an individual determine whether they’ll develop ASD or not.
Why Do Autism Patients Need Supplements?
Eating is a sensory-rich activity, especially for children. However, due to autism, many toddlers cannot taste or sense what they are eating. This, in turn, prompts them to avoid some nutritious food items.
So, how do you keep the level of nourishment high to improve your child’s overall health?
By adding supplements to their diet plan, of course. The following are a few options that you can choose from. We’ve listed a few of our top autism supplement below, many of which include a number of the top supplements mentioned below:
- Simple Spectrum (spectrum vitamins)
- Bio-Heal (spectrum probiotic)
- Bright Autism (spectrum melatonin gummies)
Vitamin C – To Improve Immune System
Usually found in citrus fruits, vitamin C helps our body get rid of free radicals and boost our immune system massively. Besides, it’s also responsible for producing neurotransmitters, which improve the functionality of our brain even more.
Taking vitamin C supplements daily can reduce various stereotypical behavior of autism, such as pacing, rocking, or flapping hands.
Melatonin – To Take Care Of Sleeping Disorders
Oftentimes, people with autism find it difficult to sleep correctly. Hence, if it’s not treated quickly, this seemingly-minor symptom can lead to a major problem like insomnia.
The problem with sleeping generally occurs in autistic children due to low melatonin levels. Therefore, you have to provide a melatonin supplement to your child. Taking the same at least two hours before bedtime will definitely improve the patient’s quality of sleep.
Oxytocin – To Boost Social Skills
Oxytocin, a chemical produced in our brain, helps us with cognitive skills and specifies how we behave or bond with others. However, in children with autism, the production of this hormone tends to be pretty low, which affects their social behavior severely.
Providing your kid with oxytocin supplements can enhance certain social behaviors and make them more proficient regarding public speaking.
Omega 3 – To Enhance Brain Functionality
The level of omega 3 tends to be much lower in an autistic individual than in a normal human being. Due to this reason, they experience severe brain-related dysfunctionalities.
Therefore, including omega-three supplements in your child’s diet will be a must if you want to take care of this issue. It might not cause any drastic changes in the patient’s behavior right away, but they’ll surely improve over time.
Probiotics – To Avoid Issues Related To The GI Tract
GI (gastrointestinal) distress is pretty common in children who have autism. Some doctors consider that there’s a link between autism severity and gut bacteria. However, the debate is still ongoing in the medical community.
In any case, if your child is experiencing frequent GI-related issues, then taking probiotics might be beneficial for them. It might normalize their situation and offer immediate relief.
Wrapping It Up!
If we’re being honest, there are a lot of supplements available in the market that can help an autistic individual invariably.
However, depending on the individual’s health, they may also negatively affect their body. Thus, before you buy anything, make sure to consult with a nutritionist if a specific supplement will suit your kid or not.
This way, you can be safe and avoid any further health-related complications.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
