ANRC Comprehensive Nutritional Support Protocol
(click here for the printable PDF)
Top 10 Nutrition Recommendations for ASD
(click here for printable PDF version)
1. Healthy Diet:
- 3-4 servings of healthy vegetables (esp. leafy greens)
- 1-2 servings of fruit (especially whole fruit)
- 2-3 servings of protein
- Minimal sugar, junk food
- Avoid artificial colors, flavors, preservatives
- Organic if possible (see Clean15 and Dirty Dozen)
2. Trial of gluten-free, casein-free diet
(1 month for casein, 3 months for gluten)
3. Vitamin/Mineral supplement:
ANRC Essentials or similar brand
4. Check iron and Vitamin D status
Iron: Low iron is especially common in individuals with sleep problems, young children, and females who are menstruating. Add iron if needed – but only if needed, as too much iron can also be a problem
Vitamin D: A blood test can detect if a person has low vitamin D - this is common if people have less than 1 hour/day of direct exposure to the sun. Windows, clothing, and sunscreen lotion block most of the sunlight needed to make vitamin D.
5. Essential Fatty Acids
especially needed if not eating 1 serving of fatty fish each week;
6. Amino Acids
especially if consuming insufficient protein
7. Carnitine
especially if not eating 2 or more servings/week of beef or pork
8. Digestive enzymes
especially if loose stools or gaseousness
9. Melatonin
if having problems sleeping
10. Trial of very high dose vitamin B6 with Mg
(8 mg B6 per pound of bodyweight, and half that for magnesium; i.e., for a 100 pound person, 800 mg B6 and 400 mg magnesium)
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
- Summary of Dietary, Nutritional, and Medical Treatments for Autism – based on over 150 published research articles – by James B. Adams, PhD., adamsautismresearch.com
- Autism Biomedical Complementary Treatment Approaches - a published scientific review of nutritional and other treatments for ASD