Obviously spectrum disorders are extremely complicated and most clinicians agree that there is not one underlying cause.  Instead, it is believed that there are a number of contributing factors ranging from genetics to varying exposure to environmental toxins and even the expression of genetic factors during pregnancy.   Because it is such a complex disorder, any and all therapies need to be taken with a grain of salt.

With that as the disclaimer, I felt it important to share the article below which details the results of a recent study on the subject.  Here is the link to the article as well as the full excerpt below:  http://www.nutraingredients.com/On-your-radar/Omega-3/Omega-3-vitamin-E-mix-shows-potential-for-autistic-speech

“A combination of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E may lead to speech improvements in autistic children with verbal disorders, suggests a new study.

Verbal apraxia is a speech disorder common in autism, and an estimated 50 per cent of children with autism have apraxia. Furthermore, many thousands more are reported to have apraxia but are not autistic.

According to new research published in the journal Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine, daily supplements of omega-3 and vitamin E were associated with improvements in speech, imitation, eye contact, and behavior.

Claudia Morris from the Children’s Hospital and Research Center Oakland (CHRCO) and Marilyn Agin from the Saint Vincent Medical Center in New York recruited families with experiences of omega-3 fatty acid and vitamin E supplementation. The majority of families used doses of 800 IU of vitamin E, while the average omega-3 consumption was 280 to 840 mg DHA and 695 to 2,085mg EPA.

The ratios and dosages determined through the work with the study led to a patent for Dr Morris through the CHRCO (US patent # 2008/002216). The patented formulation is licensed exclusively to Illinois-based NourishLife from CHRCO.

Kate Bolton, VP of speech nutrients at NourishLife, told NutraIngredients: “The results of the study are significant in that 97 per cent of the participants with apraxia and/or on the autism spectrum reported dramatic improvements while taking a combination of omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E.

“The study represents the largest summary of children with apraxia to date,” she added.

“Antidotal evidence had previously shown that omega-3 can help children with apraxia and those known as ‘late talkers’. The researchers discovered that they symptoms presented by children with apraxia mirror those of vitamin E deficiency,” said Bolton. “The addition of high dose vitamin E with omega-3 fatty acids is the breakthrough.”

Study details

The researchers recruited 187 children with verbal apraxia who had received vitamin E plus polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation. They noted that verbal apraxia is not only a speech disorder but rather a complex syndrome that affects a person’s neurologic function.

A subgroup of children emerged, characterised by autism, sensory issues, low muscle tone, food allergy, coordination problems, and impaired gastrointestinal function.

The presence of multiple allergies and intestinal problems are associated with nutritional deficiencies including vitamin E, omega-3, and carnitine. Following supplementation, 181 families (97 per cent) reported “dramatic improvements in a number of areas”, said the researchers. These included speech, behaviour, eye contact, and other sensory issues.

“We characterize a novel apraxia phenotype that responds to polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E,” wrote the researchers.

“Appropriate screening may identify a subgroup of children with a previously unrecognized syndrome of allergy, apraxia, and malabsorption who are responsive to nutritional interventions in addition to traditional speech and occupational therapy,” they added.

“Controlled trials in apraxia and autism spectrum disorders are warranted,” concluded Morris and Agin.

Bolton confirmed that work is indeed ongoing in this area, with the a clinical study and protocol designed to continue to understand the impact omega-3 and vitamin E have on autism and verbal apraxia, and to begin to determine the underlying mechanisms in verbal apraxia. However, funding for the study is yet to be secured, she said.

Source: Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine
July/August 2009, Volume 15, Number 4, Pages 34-43
“Syndrome of allergy, apraxia, and malabsorption: Characterisation of a neurodevelopmental phenotype that responds to omega-3 and vitamin E supplementation”
Authors: C.R. Morris, M.C. Agin”

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I think we can agree that we are concerned with the short and long term health of our babies, and we look to infant formula for the nutrition to keep our children healthy.

But what about premature babies?  Especially those who are too small to breast feed normally and must temporarily be fed through a tube (enterally.)  For those children, their health and indeed their lives are in the hands of their trusted doctors and pediatricians.  Luckily, there is a growing body of knowledge around what nutrients best serve the needs of these unique babies.

I came across this study summary this morning and found it very compelling.  The study is around the inclusion of the essential fatty acid omega-3, DHA in the food of premature infants.  Now for many of us with young children, we know that many of the infant formulas are fortified with DHA.  Those of us who keep up on the science may also be aware that DHA supports healthy brain development as well as supports many other areas of general health.    This new study looked at the amount of DHA being consumed in tube fed premature babies and made the conclusion that they may need more.

I have linked to the actual  article in NutraIngredients, that goes into a little more detail.  Add this to the ever growing body of work showing the DHA and baby food may go well together.

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I know that we usually think about DHA and omega-3’s in terms of prenatal health.  However, the body of research on why you should be taking fish oil spills over into every aspect of life.  Here is a link to a study announcement where they looked at peoples intake of omega-6 fatty acids.  These are the saturated fats you get in high fat foods, including fast food, fried foods, and many of your fat sources.  What they found is that if instead of eating a diet that is high in saturarted omega-6 fats, the study patients instead ate a lot of fish and had a good intake of fats from fish and other good omega-3 sources that they had a lower propensity for inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s disease or Ulcerative Colitis.

Now it is important to point out that the lead researcher in the study indicated that this data is far too limited to make any sweeping public recommendations with regard to their intake of omega-3 fish oils.   However, as I mentioned previously, there is a growing body of research out there indicating that omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA and EPA may support many aspects of overall health.

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Everybody knows that DHA during pregnancy is a great way to support fetal development.  However, few people realize the numerous areas of health where DHA, EPA and other essential fatty acids play a role.  DHA has become popular in the past ten years as the body of research around the omega-3 fatty acid grew.  Originally, EPA and DHA were studies in Eskimos for its role in heart healthy.  Scientists found it fascinating that even though these native people literally lived on a diet of fat, they had very few cardiovascular challenges.  The research in this area led to the determination that the consumption of fish, and more specifically the essential fatty acids in the fish helped support cardiovascular health.  More recently, the science around EPA and DHA has indicated that the body uses these nutrients to support multiple areas of health.  These essential fatty acids are literally incorporated into the walls of your cells and play a central role in health.

DHA During Pregnancy

In addition to the many health benefits of DHA, taking the omega 3 during pregnancy, helps support healthy brain development for the baby.  In fact, it supports healthy brain development and cognition throughout life. The science around DHA is making it more and more popular, and you often see this essential fatty acid in numerous baby formulas, as well as in foundational foods such as fortified milk.

DHA For More Than Pregnancy

On the other end of the spectrum of life, new science is emerging showing that DHA is great to support healthy brain function in adults, and may help the with the memory challenges of aging.  Regardless of your stage in life, whether you are taking it when pregnant, or on a daily basis throughout your life, a good source of daily DHA for either fish or supplementation may do wonders for daily health.

Other Posts:

Nutrients to eat while pregnant

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We all know that omega 3 fish oils are a good source of DHA which supports healthy brain development. It also seems like that essential fatty acids such as EPA and DHA for pregnancy help in all sorts of ways. I cam across this article this morning that reviews a recent study from Linkoping University, I really don’t know where that is, but it sounds exotic. Anyway, the study indicates that taking DHA during pregnancy may help reduce the incidence of skin and food allergy. I have reprinted the article below which basically says that taking omega 3 fish oils while pregnant may have an impact on allergies triggered by the IgE antibodies. IgE is one of the major antibodies that your immune system uses to fight off invader, and is associated with the creation of an allergic response. When you are allergic to something your body views the allergen as an invader. The body releases in response to the invader IgE which tells your immune system to release all of the different molecules that are used to fight off the invasion. Unfortunately, these molecules have the job of making your body as inhospitable as possible for the invader which also makes it uncomfortable for you. Thus you get red, itchy, your nose runs, and you get a rash. Anyway, back to the topic at hand, I have reprinted the article below and the link to the DHA article can be found here.

Fish oil during pregnancy may slash infant allergy
By Stephen Daniells, 09-Jul-2009

Supplements of omega-3 fish oils during pregnancy may reduce the risk of food allergy and eczema in children, according to a new study from Sweden.

The occurrence of eczema and food allergies was 16 and 13 per cent lower, respectively, in infants of mothers receiving the fish oil supplements during pregnancy and the early months of breast-feeding, compared to placebo, according to findings published in the journal Acta Paediatrica.

“This randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study shows that omega-3 supplementation during pregnancy and lactation may reduce the risk of developing allergic sensitization to egg, IgE-associated eczema and food allergy during the first year of life,” wrote the authors, led by Catrin Furuhjelm from Linkoping University.

Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the predominant antibody associated with an allergic response.

The new study adds to the ever-growing list of studies supporting the potential health benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, particularly EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA. Much of its healthy reputation that is seeping into consumer consciousness is based largely on evidence that it can aid cognitive function and may help protect the heart against cardiovascular disease.

From mother to child

Furuhjelm and her co-workers recruited 145 pregnant women with allergies, or with partners or other children with allergies. Starting at the 25th week of their pregnancy, and continuing for between three and four months of breastfeeding, the women were randomly assigned to receive either daily fish oil supplements providing 1.6 g of EPA and 1.1 g of DHA (Bio Marin capsules from Pharma Nord, Denmark), or placebo.

Using a range of tests, including clinical examination, skin prick tests, and blood tests for IgE, the researchers observed a 2 per cent prevalence of food allergy in the omega-3 group, compared to 15 per cent in the placebo group.

Furthermore, the incidence of IgE-associated eczema was only 8 per cent in the omega-3 group, compared to 24 per cent in the placebo group.

“Our findings suggest that the mechanisms leading to sustained IgE antibody production early in life may be inhibited by the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA,” wrote Furuhjelm.

What’s happening?

Commenting on the mechanism, the Linkoping-based scientists proposed several possibilities. Both DHA and EPA may produce changes in the fluidity of the membranes of immune cells, and reduce the levels of the omega-6 fatty acid arachidonic acid (AA). By inhibiting the metabolism of AA, the formation of the less inflammatory eicosanoids is favoured, which may be linked to lower allergic sensitization in the children, said the researchers.

“Additional anti-inflammatory effects of EPA andDHA in early immune development through bioactive lipids, lipoxins, neuroprotectines and resolvins, have been discussed but it is not clear whether those are plausible explanatory mechanisms regarding our findings,” they said.

Food allergy rises

The number of allergic disease has also been rising, with an estimated eight per cent of children in the EU suffering from food allergies, according to the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients’ Associations.

The most common food allergen ingredients and their derivatives are cereals containing gluten, fish, crustaceans, egg, peanut, soybeans, milk and dairy products including lactose, nuts, celery, mustard, sesame seed, and sulphites.

Source: Acta Paediatrica
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1111/j.1651-2227.2009.01355.x
“Fish oil supplementation in pregnancy and lactation may decrease the risk of infant allergy”
Authors: C. Furuhjelm, K. Warstedt, J. Larsson, M. Fredriksson, M. Fageras Bottcher, K. Falth-Magnusson, K. Duchen

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We all know that folic acid for pregnancy is great.  That’s why folic acid is one of the primary nutrients in prenatal vitamins.  However, folates and folic acid do much more for the body.  Below is an excerpt from an nutrition newsletter that I receive every day.  Occasionally it talks about pregnancy nutrition, but for the most part it reviews nutrition industry news.  Today however, there was a noteworthy article about a study that indicates that folic acid may also help reduce the risk of colorectal cancers.  If have reprinted the article in its entirety below; here is a link to the actual post  The article does also mention the benefit of folic acid for prenatal development, but the focus is primarily on the new body of science around folic acid as a nutrient.

By Stephen Daniells, 06-Jul-2009

Increased intakes of folate from the diet may reduce a woman’s risk of colorectal cancer by about 50 per cent, according to new findings from Korea.

The highest intakes of folate, a B-vitamin found in green leafy vegetables, chick peas and lentils, were associated with a 66, and 70 per cent reduction in a woman’s risk of cancers of the colon and rectum, respectively, report researchers in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (EJCN).

However, men did not benefit from the vitamin, said the researchers from Korea’s National Cancer Center, Hallym University, Inha University College of Medicine, and Seoul National University.

The study adds to an ever-growing body of case-control and prospective cohort studies have reported that increased intakes of folate may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer by 40 to 60 per cent.

Benefits for babies

An overwhelming body of evidence links has linked folate deficiency in early pregnancy to increased risk of neural tube defects (NTD) – most commonly spina bifida and anencephaly – in infants.

This connection led to the 1998 introduction of public health measures in the US and Canada, where all grain products are fortified with folic acid – the synthetic, bioavailable form of folate.

Preliminary evidence indicates that the measure is having an effect with a reported 15 to 50 per cent reduction in NTD incidence. In Chile, the measure has been associated with a 40 per cent reduction in NTDs. Parallel measures in European countries, including the UK and Ireland, are still on the table.

Contradictory results

Over 30 case-control and prospective cohort studies have reported colorectal cancer risk reduction associated to the vitamin. Similar risk reductions have also been reported for the lesion that precedes the cancer, the adenomatous polyp. However, some studies have linked folic acid intakes to an increased risk of the disease.

A review paper published in the April issue of Nutrition Reviews by Joel Mason from USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University addressed the potential Janus effect of folate on colorectal health.

“Under most circumstances, adequate intake of folate appears to assume the role of a protective agent against cancer, most notably colorectal cancer,” wrote Dr Mason. “However, in select circumstances in which an individual who harbours a pre-cancerous or cancerous tumour consumes too much folic acid, the additional amounts of folate may instead facilitate the promotion of cancer.”

The complex links between folate and cancer have created a “global dilemma”, said Dr Mason, with regards to instituting folic acid fortification programs in other countries.

Korean data

The Korean researchers analysed data obtained from 596 men and women with colorectal cancer, and compared this to data from 509 people free of the disease. All the participants were aged between 30 and 79.

According to the EJCN report, the overall data showed that the highest levels of folate intake were linked to a 53, 58 and 52 per cent reduced risk of colorectal, colon, and rectal cancer, respectively for all the people studied.

However, when the researchers focussed on the sex of the participants, only women were found to benefit, with the highest levels of folate intake were linked to a 64, 66, and 70 per cent reduced risk of colorectal, colon, and rectal cancer, respectively.

“We found a statistically significant relationship between higher dietary folate intake and reduced risk of CRC, colon cancer and rectal cancer in women,” concluded the researchers.

Folic acid versus folate

A possible explanation for the contradictory results of studies with the vitamin and colorectal cancer may be the difference between the synthetic and natural forms of the vitamin. “The fact that folic acid, which is not a naturally occurring form of the vitamin, is used by food and pharmaceutical industries for fortification and supplementation is potentially of importance,” wrote Tufts University’s Mason in Nutrition Reviews.

On passage through the intestinal wall, folic acid is converted to 5-methyltetrahydrofolate, the naturally circulating form of folate. However, some studies have suggested that oral doses of folic acid in high doses may overwhelm this conversion pathway, leading to measurable levels of folic acid in the blood.

“There has been some concern that this oxidized, non-substituted form of folate might feasibly be detrimental because it is not a naturally occurring co-enzymatic form of the vitamin,” he added.

Source: European Journal of Clinical Nutrition
Published online ahead of print, doi:10.1038/ejcn.2009.37
“Folate intake and the risk of colorectal cancer in a Korean population”
Authors: J. Kim, D.H. Kim, B.H. Lee, S.H. Kang, H.J. Lee, S.Y. Lim, Y.K. Sun, Y.O. Ahn

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A lot has been happening behind the scenes this past couple of weeks.  Okay, if you have been following our Twitter Feeds, it may not be so much behind the scenes.  Regardless, we have been really busy.  To bring you up to speed, we have spending time polishing our look, working on prenatal vitamin search engine optimization, and focusing on getting our fantastic chewable prenatal vitamins into more retail stores.  It has been a busy time, but we all know that it will pay off.

If you separate our activities into online and offline, we have been busy working to search engine optimize our main site, Bloom’en Nutrition, and even received some recognition and a bit of help from the people over at Marketing Experiments.  Hopefully with their good input, our site should show up in the top spots for some highly desirable search terms.  We had some great success this morning with the search term Prenatal Vitamin.

In addition to the prenatal vitamin search activities, we have recently received in an order of our trade show bags and are working to create a promotion for many of our autoship customers so that they can get their hands on these great reusable shopping bags.  They turned out really cute, with the Bloom’en orange as the main color and our logo in white.  Be sure to visit our website periodically to see how you can get one of these cute little carry-alls.

To become more visible online, we also have a new Facebook page where you can tune in to see what our team is up to.  We also have our MothersClick page and our presence on the Bump.  We are also working on updating the backgrounds of our Twitter pages to make them a little more “Bloom’en”  so keep an eye out for some subtle changes.

Off-line, we are working with a few retail distributors and courting a few large natural food retailers.  Look for our tasty little chews in a store near you very soon.

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There is a lot of benefit to be had with omega-3 fish oils and Vitamin D. That’s why we added them to our Bloom’en Nutrition prenatal vitamin chews. However, these great nutrients aren’t just for pregnancy health. A 20 million dollar study has recently been commissioned to evaluate by the National Institutes of Health to evaluate the impact of Vitamin D and EPA/DHA fish oil supplementation on the risk of developing cancer, stroke and heart disease, as well as memory loss, depression, diabetes, and numerous other conditions.

The study, entitled VITAL, will follow 20,000 older men and women, over a period of years, and will use annual surveys to track patient results. This is a huge study in comparison to many of the other investigations in the dietary supplement industry and should provide exceptional data on how supplementation with EPA and DHA and vitamin D impacts the onset of chronic conditions. Here is the link to the VITAL website

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We have been busy here at Bloom’en Nutrition trying to get our delicious little vitamin soft chews into as many markets as possible.  Our product can now be found in mass distribution accross the country and we are actively courting Whole Foods market to carry our brand.

In addition to our sales activities, we had the opportunity to go to the San Diego Baby Time Expo this weekend.  It was a great event!  A lot of moms turned out to see the latest in baby gear, and we got to meet many of the people that we have been working with on various promotional projects, including people from the Bump and Milkalicious

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Now most expecting mothers know that folic acid is good for you.  In fact, for most prenatal vitamins it is the one constant.  The research primarly looks at the vitamin’s impact on babies born with spina bifida.  However, a was just published that shows that folic acid may be helpful in healthy heart development as well.  I have posted the entire article from NutraIngredients on the new study below to give you the full overview.

Folic acid may boost baby’s heart health: Study

By Stephen Daniells, 14-May-2009

Increased intakes of folic acid by mandatory fortification of grain products to reduce neural tube defects may also reduce a baby’s risk of severe congenital heart defects, says a new study.

The incidence of the heart problems was reduced by 6 per cent following mandatory fortification of grain products, introduced in Canada in 1998, researchers from McGill University and the University of Alberta report in the British Medical Journal.

“Our population based study shows that fortification of grain products with folic acid in Canada was followed by a significant decrease in the birth prevalence of severe congenital heart defects, supporting the hypothesis that folic acid intake in the period around conception reduces the birth prevalence of severe congenital heart defects,” wrote the researchers, led by Louise Pilote.

Folic acid and NTDs

Folate is found in foods such as green leafy vegetables, chick peas and lentils. Folic acid – the synthetic, bioavailable form of folate – is obtained from grain products in the US and Canada following introduction of mandatory fortification in 1998.

Currently, supplementation with folate and folic acid is recommended to all women of child-bearing age since most neural tube defects (NTDs), including spina bifida and anencephaly, occur within the first 22 to 28 days of pregnancy, when the mother-to-be is not aware she is even pregnant.

Folic acid supplements after this time are too late to prevent neural tube defects and therefore fail to benefit women with unplanned pregnancies – more than half of all pregnancies in the US.

Preliminary evidence indicates that the 1998 introduction of public health measures in the US and Canada has reduced the incidence of NTDs by 15 to 50 per cent. In Chile, the measure has been associated with a 40 per cent reduction in NTDs. Parallel measures in European countries, including the UK and Ireland, are still on the table.

In March, a Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) working group stated there would be no public health benefit from mandatory folic acid fortification, but a final determination would be made at the end of the year when more data would be available.

New data

The new study looked at data from infants born between 1990 and 2005 in Quebec. Out of the 1,324,440 infants born, 2,083 had a congenital heart defects. This is equivalent to an average birth prevalence of 1.57 out of every 1,000 births, said the researchers.

Analysis of the data showed no change in the prevalence of severe birth defects in the nine years before fortification, but a 6 per cent reduction in the prevalence in the seven years after fortification, wrote the researchers.

“An average 6.2 per cent reduction per year in the birth prevalence of severe congenital heart defects observed in this study might seem modest,” wrote the researchers. “However, given that severe congenital heart defects require complex surgical interventions in infancy and are associated with high infant mortality rates, even a small reduction in the overall risk will significantly reduce the costs associated with the medical care of these patients and the psychological burden on patients and their families,” they added.

Commenting on the mechanism, Pilote and her co-workers stated that the B vitamin may have a beneficial role in the early development of an embryo’s circulatory system, ensuring correct formation of the heart.

In an accompanying article from Helena Gardiner and Jean-Claude Fouron from Imperial College at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea and the Royal Brompton Hospitals, and CHU Sainte-Justine in Montreal, respectively, said that population-wide measures of fortification should be followed, but rather targeting of women of child bearing age.

Reaction

Commenting independently on the research, Dr Sian Astley, a scientist for the Institute of Food Research, told the BBC: “Personally, I do not think mandatory fortification is the way forward. It is like using a sledge hammer to crack a nut.

“It would reduce ill health in children but there are cautionary issues.

“An alternative would be to fortify only certain foods and clearly label them so consumers can make the choice. Co-fortification with other B vitamins would be another sensible option,” she added.

Source: British Medical Journal
2009, Volume 338:b1673, doi:10.1136/bmj.b1673
“Prevalence of severe congenital heart disease after folic acid fortification of grain products: time trend analysis in Quebec, Canada”
Authors: Raluca Ionescu-Ittu, A.J. Marelli, A.S. Mackie, L. Pilote

Editorial: British Medical Journal
2009, Volume 338: b1144, doi:10.1136/bmj.b1144
“Folic acid fortification and congenital heart disease”
Authors: H.M Gardiner, J.C. Fouron

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