As published in the Berkshire Record..

June, 2006

As my co-host and I, Deborah Alecson, prepare for a new radio show on WBCR-LP, 97.7 (Food For Thought: Children, Nutrition and Learning. Every Wednesday from 8 AM to 9 PM), we have come across some startling information that we look forward to sharing. A recent news release from National Autism Association discussed heavy metals and their possible implicated role in autism.

Urine samples from hundreds of French children have yielded evidence for a link between autism and exposure to heavy metals. If validated, the findings might mean some cases of autism could be treated with drugs that purge the body of heavy metals. In fact there are already hundreds of cases of children who have undergone oral and IV chelation which has had positive effects for problems related to autism. I have personally met a number of these families at conferences around the country. The personal stories of autism and related recoveries have been truly amazing to hear. The journey of some of these families has been written about in a book by David Kirby called, Evidence of Harm.

In regards to the above information from the National Autism Association and the French children, samples from children with autism contained abnormally high levels of a family of proteins called porphyrins, which are precursors in the production of heme, the oxygen-carrying component in hemoglobin. Heavy metals block heme production, causing porphyrins to accumulate in urine.

Autism is thought to have a number of unknown genetic and environmental causes. Richard Lathe of Pieta Research in Edinburgh, UK, says he has found one of these factors. “ It’s highly likely that heavy metals are responsible for childhood autistic disorder in a majority of cases,” he claims. The study will appear in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology.

Lathe says these porphyrin metabolites bind to receptors in the brain and have been linked with epilepsy and autism. The researchers restored porphyrin concentrations to normal in 12 children by treating them with “chelation” drugs that “mop” up heavy metals are then excreted. This is very early research and will need future studies to substantiate what is truly happening. At this time there is quite a bit of anecdotal reports about the benefits of chelation therapy as it relates to Autism Spectrum Disorders.

There is also a growing number of researchers willing to dive deeper into this subject even though it attracts quite a bit of controversy and skepticism from their colleagues. There are many sources of heavy metal contamination in the world. One of them is from mercury in some vaccinations. The implication of possible responsibility from pharmaceutical companies and their related supportive researchers is a strong source of criticism and skepticism about some of the above research. We hope and pray that the truth about these situations can rise to the surface through some of this heated and controversial debate, so proper diagnosis and treatment can be found and utilized for the benefit of these children and their families.
I look forward to writing more on this subject and exploring it on our radio show referred to above.