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Common Diseases > Vitamin B6 Can Help Autistic Children
What is Autism?
Autism is seen as a developmental disorder that generally begins between birth and age
two and a half years. It is often difficult to know if a child is autistic as
most autistic children are perfectly normal in appearance, but spend their time
engaged in puzzling and disturbing behaviors which are markedly different from
those of typical children and display social and behavioral problems.
"There is no
biological treatment for autism which
is more strongly supported in the
scientific literature than the use of
high dosage vitamin B6 (preferably
given along with normal supplements
of magnesium)" says Bernard
Rimland PhD, editor of the Autism
Research Review International
A large scale
study undertaken by Rimland has found
that between 30 per cent and 40 per
cent of autistic children may benefit
from large doses of vitamin B6.
200 autistic children
were given "Megadose
quantities" of vitamin B6,
niacinamide, pantothenic acid and
vitamin C, along with a multi vitamin
tablet.
Four months into the
trial it was clear that vitamin B6
was the most important of the
vitamins being investigated. In some
cases it brought considerable
improvement.
Some children
experienced side effects to the high
dosage levels. "A few of the
children showed minor side effects
(irritability, sound sensitivity and
bed wetting), but these cleared up
when additional magnesium was
supplied," says Rimland.
"Another
double-blind, placebo controlled
study of mine with Professor Enoch
Callaway of the University of
California Medical Center at San
Francisco and Pierre Dreyfus of the
University of California Medical
center at Davis showed statistically
significant results for children
taking between 300 and 500 mg of B6
per day, with several hundred
milligrams of magnesium and a
multiple B tablet given to guard
against B6 - induced deficiencies in
these nutrients.
"In both studies
the children showed better eye
contact, less self-stimulatory
behaviour, more interest in the world
around them, fewer tantrums and more
speech. In general the children
became more 'normal', although they
were not cured."
The new research follows
on from decades of research into the
effects of B6 on autistic children. In 1966 two British
neurologists, AF Heeley and GE Robert,
reported that 11 of 19 children
excreted abnormal metabolites in
their urine when given tryptophan
load tests. B6 helped to normalize
these children's urine.
In 1968 a German
researcher, VE Bonisch, reported that
B6 could improve behaviour when given
in high doses (100 mg to 600 mg per
day). He found that the vitamin
helped 12 out of 15 of the patients
he studied.
Three of the patients
spoke for the first time after
vitamin B6 was administered in his
open clinical trial. Rimland is excited about
the results of his research.
"Eighteen studies have been
published since 1965 showing
conclusively that high dose vitamin
B6 confers many benefits to about
half of all autistic children and
adults on whom it has been
tried."
"People vary
enormously in their need for B6. The
children who showed improvement under
B6 improved because they needed B6.
Autism can be thus regarded as a
vitamin B6 depending syndrome.
French researchers have
also success in treating autistic
with B6, according to He says that
they have improves behaviour and
Vitamin BC may be the most effective
biological treatment for autism, with
30-40 per cent of patients showing
improvement. "No drug comes
close to these results!" says
Rimland.
This information is provided by Open Forum on Health
Bernard Rimland PhD, editor of the Autism
Research Review International
Autism and the relationship with Mercury |
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