• Nutrition, the microbiome, and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A review

    From =?UTF-8?B?4oCi?=@21:1/5 to All on Wed Sep 6 23:29:10 2017
    Nutrition, the microbiome, and Autism Spectrum Disorder: A review

    Posted: 26 June 2017 | University of Illinois College of Agricultural Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) | No comments yet

    Over the last decade, research has revealed more about the human gut microbiome—the environment within the gastrointestinal tract—where microbes, especially bacteria, reside.

    microbiome
    Recently, more has become known about the function of those microbes and the microbiome’s connection with health and disease.

    Sharon Donovan, a professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois explains that researchers have started to look at more specific disease states and the microbiome. “We are starting to see links with autism, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular
    disease, and almost every disease that is looked at.

    “The gut-brain axis, is a hot area right now. We’ve known for a long time, for example, if you get nervous, the communication comes through the vagus nerve, from your brain to your gut. Oftentimes, people who have a lot of stress feel it in their
    guts. Now we have findings from animal model studies that show that the microbes themselves are able to signal the brain in part through the vagus nerve.”

    Diet and the gut microbiome

    Donovan and her graduate student Kirsten Berding are interested in the interaction between diet and the gut microbiome and are hoping to provide further evidence of nutrition’s impact on the microbiome and its association with ASD. This information
    could allow the effectiveness of some suggested dietary interventions to be tested.

    There is evidence of abnormalities in gut microbiota composition in children with ASD, but Donovan explains that it has not been established whether it is those abnormalities that contribute to ASD symptoms or if it is the diet and medication use by a
    child with ASD that leads to the imbalance in gut microbes.

    “Autism is multi-factorial, it’s not just nutrition, it’s not just microbiome,” she says.

    Parents of children with ASD often find information on the internet showing an association between diet and ASD as well as the microbiome and ASD, and they have been willing to try an array of dietary inventions and probiotics to help alleviate some of
    the ASD, as well as gastrointestinal symptoms, their children experience, Berding explains.

    But often, parents are acting on anecdotal evidence, the hope that “if it worked for someone else’s child, it’ll work for mine.”

    “Diets such as gluten-free or casein-free diets for children with autism, as well as other alternative interventions parents have tried, may not provide the hoped for results for every child,” Donovan says.

    Therefore, the goal is to better understand to what degree the gut microbiota of children with ASD differs from non-affected children and to conduct studies that systematically evaluate the most effective interventions. As a first step, Berding and
    Donovan reviewed the current research on the microbiome and the nutritional status of autistic children, as well as what is known about the underlying mechanisms of the microbiota-gut-brain axis—the way the gut and brain communicate with each other.

    ASD

    In their review, they found studies linking microbiome changes and ASD and differences in dietary intake in ASD, however, few studies link how nutrition may affect ASD symptoms via changing the gut microbiota.

    “Many kids with autism are picky eaters and will often get stuck on certain foods. Some literature shows that those foods tend to be more simple sugars and not as nutritious. Some of the studies on food intake of kids with autism show that their fruit
    and vegetable consumption is low, and have low sources of dietary fibre. We know fibre is important for the microbiome. If they are picky eaters and they have a poor diet that’s one aspect,” Berding says.

    Nutritional influence

    Tracing not only nutrition’s influence, but also the influence of dietary supplements and medications on the microbiome will help the researchers understand correlations between diet, microbiome, and ASD and to establish new possible therapies to
    mitigate the severity of autism symptoms.

    This is what Donovan and Berding hope to continue studying.

    The researchers are now recruiting children aged 2-7 diagnosed with ASD who have not had any sort of probiotic or nutritional intervention, as well as non-affected siblings, to take part in a pilot study to look at common abnormalities in the microbiome
    and to eventually understand more about modulating the microbiome through the use of diet or supplements. Data such as faecal samples, daily food intake, and GI symptoms will be collected throughout the study.

    “There may be ways to use diet or specific probiotics to help,” Donovan says. “They’re not necessarily going to replace medications but they may be able to do things that many medications aren’t successful in.”

    RELATED TOPICS
    Microbial Detection, Microbiology, Microbiomes
    RELATED ORGANISATIONS
    University of Illinois
    RELATED PEOPLE
    Kirsten Berding, Sharon Donovan
    RELATED DISEASES & CONDITIONS
    Autism, Cardiovascular disease, Diabetes, obesity
    Charles River
    Corporate Translations
    Newsletter sign-up

    Enter your email address
    RELATED CONTENT
    ARTICLE European Pharmaceutical Review - Issue 2 2017
    Issue #2 2017 – Digital version
    NEWS
    Particle Measuring Systems Celebrates 45th Anniversary
    ARTICLE Microbiology In-Depth Focus 2017
    Microbiology In-Depth Focus 2017
    NEWS SpeeDx logo
    SpeeDx and Thermo Fisher Scientific announce strategic partnership for FDA clearance of molecular diagnostic test
    Leave a Reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    COMMENT


    NAME *


    EMAIL *


    WEBSITE


    POST COMMENT
    CONTENT

    News
    Industry Insights
    Articles
    Magazine
    Whitepapers & App Notes
    Events
    Webinars
    Videos
    Company Profiles
    TOPICS

    Analytical Techniques
    Biopharma
    Drug Delivery
    Formulation
    Manufacturing
    Packaging
    QA/QC
    R&D
    Regulation & Legislation
    ADVERTISING & EDITORIAL

    Advertising Opportunities
    Advertising Tech Specs
    Advisory Board
    Information for Authors
    Media Planner
    WRITE FOR US | ADVERTISE WITH US

    CONTACTREGISTER
    T: +44 (0)1959 563311
    F: +44 (0)1959 563123

    COMPANY INFORMATION

    European Pharmaceutical Review is published by:
    Russell Publishing Ltd.
    Court Lodge
    Hogtrough Hill
    Brasted, Kent, TN16 1NU
    United Kingdom



    https://www.europeanpharmaceuticalreview.com/news/62582/nutrition-microbiome-autism/

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)