New Atlas – Scientific research continues to uncover interesting connections between the gut microbiome and human health, including everything from depression to PTSD to autoimmune disease.
Another example of this is the emerging ties between gut health and autism, with an exciting new study demonstrating how boosting microbial diversity via fecal transplants can dramatically reduce its symptoms in the long term.
One in every 59 children born in the US is diagnosed with autism, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and unfortunately for many of them, chronic gastrointestinal issues are a harsh reality of their condition.
According to scientists at Arizona State University, who conducted the new study, around 30 to 50 percent of autism sufferers experience serious gut problems like constipation, diarrhea and stomach pain. How Gut Bacteria May Boost Cancer Therapy
“Many kids with autism have gastrointestinal problems, and some studies, including ours, have found that those children also have worse autism-related symptoms,” says ASU’s Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown. “In many cases, when you are able to treat those gastrointestinal problems, their behavior improves.”
The new study builds on earlier research from 2017 that found introducing new bacteria via fecal transplants in 18 autistic children brought about marked improvements in their behavior, as measured through questionnaires assessing their social skills, hyperactivity, communication and other factors.
These improvements held for eight weeks, an impressive outcome to be sure. But the Arizona State University researchers wanted to investigate the enduring effects of the treatment, which involved a bowel cleanse … Read more.
- This Food Injures 10,000 Children Each Year
- Study Confirms Autism’s REAL Cause
- MMR Vaccine Does NOT Cause Autism, Another Study Confirms
MORE OF TODAY’S TOP HEALTH NEWS: