Summary of Biomedical Treatments for Autism, by James B. Adams, Ph.D.
page 6Vitamin/Mineral Supplements
Rationale: In order to be classified as a “vitamin” or “essential mineral”, many studies were conducted that showed that the lack of that vitamin or mineral resulted in disease or even death. The RDA is the minimum amount required to prevent disease, but may be less that the amount needed for optimal mental and physical health. Most people in the US consume less than the Required Daily Allowance (RDA) of one or more vitamins and minerals. For example, many women lack enough calcium and iron, leading to osteoporosis and anemia, respectively.
Explanation of Treatment:
Vitamins and minerals are available in vegetables, fruits, meat, and other sources. However, the typical U.S. diet is lacking in key vitamins and minerals, so many people need to take a supplement.
Juicing: One option is to use a juicer to make fresh vegetable/fruit juice, and storing it for up to a few days in an airtight glass container. Fresh vegetable/fruit juice is a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Commercial juices are “pasteurized” or heated to destroy bacteria, which also causes a loss of some nutrients. Grinding vegetables/fruit one time provides only about half of the original vitamins/minerals, so after the first juicing it is useful to soak the pulp for about 15 minutes in a small amount of pure water (about 10% of the amount of liquid initially squeezed out), and then grind the pulp again – this will yield most of the remaining vitamins/minerals. The only small disadvantage to juicing is a loss of insoluble fiber, but the soluble fiber remains, and that is the most important fiber. However, the advantage of juicing is that it is often a very easy and tasteful way to get healthy nutrients into children who don’t eat fruits/vegetables. Some of the healthiest vegetables to use include cabbage, spinach, carrots, broccoli, parsley, oregano, mixed with a small amount of fresh fruit for flavor and other nutrients. Organic vegetables and fruits are preferred, as they have a higher amount of vitamins and minerals and less toxic pesticides. 8 ounces/day should be enough for most children and adults, depending on their intake of other vegetables and fruits.
Supplements: Vitamin/mineral supplements are largely unregulated, and some supplements do not contain what they claim, or use forms that are poorly absorbed. Some companies choose to participate in the Dietary Supplement Verification Program (DSVP) of the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) - that program verifies that the contents of the supplement match the label. Check for a USP or DSVP label, or go to http://www.usp.org/USPVerified/ to check a company’s products.
- Also, most supplements do not contain all the essential vitamins and minerals, or do not contain enough of them.
- Several good choices for broad-spectrum vitamin/mineral supplements include Kirkman’s Super Nu Thera (very high in vitamin B6), Kirkman’s Spectrum Complete, Brainchild’s Spectrum Support, and Awaken Nutrition. However, most of those supplements do not contain enough calcium, which is also very important to supplement, and they do not contain iron, which some children may need.
- Calcium supplements are especially important if a person is on a dairy-free diet.
- Iron supplements are needed by some typical children as well as children with autism, but should only be given if a test indicates a need, as too much iron can also be a problem.
- In general, nutritional supplements are a good way to boost key nutrients that may be lacking in the diet.
Testing: Most vitamin and mineral levels can be tested using blood samples taken while fasting. Vitamin Diagnostics is one of very few companies that can measure the level of all vitamins. Several commercial labs can measure the level of most minerals, most of which can be measured reliably in Red Blood Cells (RBC). Calcium is best measured in the urine, preferably with a 24-hour urine collection. Some laboratories also offer functional assessments of the need for vitamins and minerals based on blood and/or urine testing.
Recommended Dosages:
We recommend the following dosages for people with autism as a reasonable level to start with. However, some individuals may need more or less depending on their diet and metabolic needs, and testing can help determine optimal supplement levels.
Note that vitamin and minerals can have a potent effect on body function and behavior, and we recommend starting at a low dose (1/10 of that below) and then gradually increasing over 3-4 weeks.
Iron should be added only if a test indicates a need for iron.
The dosage below should be adjusted up or down by bodyweight; ie, half for a 30 lb child, and for 90 pounds and above give 50% more.
| Vitamins | Proposed Supplement (for 60lb. child) |
RDA (4-8 yrs.) | Upper Limit |
| Vitamin A (as mixed carotenoids) |
6000 IU carotenoids (3000 IU Vit. A) |
400 mcg (1333 IU) | 900 mcg (3000 IU) |
| Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) | 1000 mg | 25 mg | 650 mg |
| Vitamin D (cholecalciferol) | 150 IU | 5 mcg (200 IU) | 50 mcg (2000 IU) |
| Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) | 200 IU | 7 mg (10.5 IU) | 300 mg (450 IU) |
| Vitamin K | 0 | 55 mg | ND |
| B1 (thiamin HCI) | 30 mg | 0.6 mg | ND |
| B2 (riboflavin) | 20 mg | 0.6 mg | ND |
| B3 (niacin/niacinamide) | 15 mg niacin 20 mg niacinamide |
8 mg | 15 mg |
| B5 (calcium d pantothenate) | 25 mg | 3 mg | ND |
| B6 (pyridoxal HCI) | 40 mg ***** | 0.6 | 40 mg |
| B12 (cyanocobalamin) | 800 mcg | 1.2 mcg | ND |
| Folic Acid | 400 mcg | 200 mcg | 400 mcg |
| Folinic Acid | 400 mcg | ||
| Biotin (d-biotin) | 300 mcg | 12 mcg | ND |
| Choline (choline bitartrate) | 250 mg | 250 mg | 1000 mg |
| Inositol (inositol monophosphate) |
100 mg | n/a | n/a |
| MINERALS | |||
| Calcium (calcium citrate) | 50 mg | 800 mg | 2500 mg |
| Chromium (chromium chelate) |
70 mcg | 15 mcg | ND |
| Copper | 0 | 440 mcg | 3000 mcg |
| Iodine (potassium iodine) | 100 mcg | 90 mcg | 300 mcg |
| Iron ** | 0 | 10 mg | 40 mg |
| Lithium (lithium amino acid chelate) |
500 mcg | n/a*** | n/a |
| Magnesium (magnesium glycinate or citrate) | 150 mg | 130 mg | 110 mg* |
| Manganese (manganese taurate) |
10 mg | 1.5 mg | 3 mg |
| Molybdenum (molybdenum chelate) | 125 mcg | 22 mcg | 600 mcg |
| Phosphorus | 0 | 500 mg | 3000 mg |
| Potassium (potassium citrate) | 50 mg | 1500 mg | n/a |
| Selenium (selenium chelate) | 85 mcg | 30 mcg | 150 mcg |
| Sulfur (MSM) | 500 mg | n/a | n/a |
| Zinc (zinc citrate) | 10-30 mg**** | 5 mg | 12 mg |
* for Magnesium, the UL is the amount for supplements and does not count food sources
** Iron should be added on an individual basis only if serum ferritin tests reveal a need for iron. Suggest 5-10 mg of iron chelate for 4 weeks, followed by half that dosage afterwards
*** Estimated daily intake of lithium in food is 1900 mcg/day for adults.
**** Some children may need even higher levels of zinc.
***** Some children and adults may benefit from much higher dosages, see section on High Dose Vitamin B6.
Duration: Lifelong, although improving diet and healing gut may reduce the need for supplementation.
Safety Note:Most vitamins are water soluble, and excess amounts of them will be safely excreted in the urine. Some vitamins (vitams A, D, E, K) are fat soluble, and excess amounts of those can build up in the body and cause toxicity if taken at high levels (above what we recommend) for a long time. Excess amounts of minerals can cause problems, and the upper limits listed above should not be exceeded without consultation with a physician or nutritionist.
ARI Survey of Parent Ratings of Treatment Efficacy:
| % worse | % no change | % better | # of reports | |
| Vitamin A | 2% | 58% | 41% | 618 |
| CalciumE: | 2% | 62% | 36% | 1378 |
| Folic Acid | 3% | 54% | 42% | 1437 |
| Magnesium | 6% | 65% | 29% | 301 |
| PSP (Vit. B6) | 13% | 37% | 51% | 213 |
| Vitamin B3 | 4% | 55% | 41% | 659 |
| Vitamin B6 alone | 8% | 63% | 30% | 620 |
| Vitamin B6 w/Magnesium | 4% | 49% | 47% | 5780 |
| Vitamin B12 | 4% | 33% | 63% | 192 |
| Vitamin C | 2% | 57% | 41% | 1706 |
| Zinc | 2% | 51% | 47% | 1244 |
Research: One small double-blind, placebo-controlled study published by Adams et al. found that a strong, balanced multi-vitamin/mineral supplement resulted in improvements in children with autism in sleep and gut function, and possibly in other areas. Adams JB et al., Pilot study of a moderate dose multivitamin-mineral supplement for children with autistic spectrum disorder. J Altern Complement Med. 2004 Dec;10(6):1033-9.
One study found that high-dose vitamin C (1.1 g per 10 kg bodyweight) helped children with autism.
Dolske MC, Spollen J, McKay S, Lancashire E, Tolbert L. A preliminary trial of ascorbic acid as supplemental therapy for autism. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 1993 Sep;17(5):765-74.
Several studies have demonstrated that children with autism have substantial oxidative stress, suggesting either a low level of key antioxidants or an increased need for them.
For more information, go to: http://autism.asu.edu
Summary of Biomedical Treatments for Autism:
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