Maternal Intake of Supplemental Iron and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Mothers of children with autism less likely to have taken iron supplements during pregnancy

I have 3 studies regarding iron deficiency in women over the age of 35, that don’t take in enough iron rich food, and are pregnant, which also are obese with hypertension and or diabetes have a five-fold increased risk of having an autistic child.

Also if a mother takes in enough folic acid rich foods or takes supplants there is a reduced risk for autism. Professor Rebecca Schmidt also noted in her study that iron was important. Anemia caused by iron and calcium deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency for pregnant women and children. Iron is critical during pregnancy, 40 to 50% of women and their children are affected by lack of iron. Without sufficient amounts of iron during gestation neurotransmitter production, myelination, immune function and brain development have been associated with autism.

Taking iron supplements may make the problem worse. Many people are now suffering from gut dyspiosis, leaky gut with overgrowth of pathogenic gut bacteria.

Your bodies epithelial cells which line your intestinal walls and act as a seal preventing foriegn matter from invading the gut or leaking out of your gut are weakened from toxins and or illness. This will leave microscopic gaps in your guts lining allowing food, proteins, and peptides to leak out, which might end up in your bloodstream. This causes the body to launch its antibodies, which is an inflammation response, not an immunity response. This problem also causes malabsorption of nutrients.

Common inflammatory agents are antibiotics, vaccines, gluten ( or the glyphosate sprayed on wheat before harvest), refined sugar, chemicals in processed foods and artificial sweeteners, stress, and medication. Many common pharmaceuticals like antidepressants, fluoride, oral contraceptives, and pain relievers disrupt the gut microbiome. The list goes on, you can do your own research if you have inflammation problems.

Because of the degradation of the gut the environment becomes a haven for pathogenic bacteria, which thrive on an iron rich environment. Taking iron supplements, isolated iron is a pathogenic bacteria’s idea of heaven.

Studies have shown, not all, but many people with an overgrowth of pathogenic gut flora suffer from anemia. People with a dysfunctional gut ecosystem have a difficult time absorbing vitamins and minerals from their food because good gut bacteria and a healthy gut system helps break down nutrition for absorption and health gut bacteria produce many of the nutrients we need for a healthy mind and body.

The iron loving bacteria are Actinomyces app., toxin producing E. coli, Corynebacterium spp., this is just a few of the pathogenic bacteria that inhabit a dysfunctional gut and consume most of the bodies iron. Don’t feed the bad bacteria iron supplements!

A study by Natasha Campbell McBride has shown that if you have low iron you may be suffering from a low count of healthy gut bacteria. She has shown in her study eating foods with iron added does increase unhealthy gut bacteria, while healthy gut bacteria helps their host store iron.

Her study mentions infant formula, vitamins, supplemental drinks fortified with iron increased pathogentic gut bacteria. Also Salmonella spp. count was higher with the group that was fed iron fortified food and drinks. There was an increase of faecal Enterobacterlacea along with faecal calprotectin, which is a marker for gut inflammation. There are additional studies in Kenyan infants, which suffered an increase of Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli while a decrease in Bifidobacteriaceae, an increase in Enterbacteriacea and a decrease in Lactobacillaceae. Formulas with iron supplements should be avoided, especially for infants that live in famine stricken war zones or are highly vaccinated like here in the West.

Healing a gut or protecting an infants immature immune system and gut through breast feeding and introducing healthy nutritious foods along with eating probiotic foods would be a less expensive way of healing the gut rather than trying to fix the problem using expensive vaccine programs and iron fortified foods, formulas, and drinks.

There are several diets I found that address an impaired digestive system like leaky gut syndrome. Most are too hard to follow and expensive, especially for poor people. Eating healthy traditional foods, especially active fermented foods, breast feeding, avoiding harsh pharmaceuticals would be the easiest and cheapest way to heal. I’ve read allergies, chronic fatigue, depression, A.D.H.D and many other autoimmune diseases are symptoms of gut dysfunction.

Active B12 is found exclusively in animal tissues. An analog to B12 can be found in a few plant foods, but it actually blocks the uptake of B12 the body can use and increases your need for it. B12 is stored in your liver, kidneys and other areas of the body. A person can go many years, studies show 7 years, without showing a deficiency because of the bodies storage system. B12 deficiency symptoms are lack of mental clarity, apathy, muscle weakness, and fatigue. Long term deficiency leads to depression, dementia, and fertility problems.

Most people that are not vegetarians or vegans store between 2,000 to 3,000 picograms of B-12 per day. B12 is part of the process that changes homocysteine into methionine. High homocysteine levels are associated with heart disease, deterioration of arteries and nerves. Vegan foods that claim to have B12 are proving they do not raise B12 or help increase storage.

There are many reasons one could be experiencing low energy, however if you are eating a diet with low levels of B12 or taking an analog of B12 you may be experiencing depression, numbness, tingling in the hands and feet, nervousness, paranoia, hyperactive reflexes, poor memory and behavior changes. Poor absorption of B12 can also happen when our gut is dysfunctional and healing the gut will have to be addressed before taking vitamins or you will be flushing your expensive vitamins down the toilet.

Several studies then I cared to read mention vegans and live food people throughout the age spectrum and sexes have a risk of becoming B12 deficient. Newborn babies are particularly at risk but if their vegan or raw food mother breastfeeds and supplements with B12 their child will have no developmental problems.

One of the reasons why B12 is difficult to absorb is because it needs to attach to protein. The B12 molecule is very large. Many people have problems absorbing the protein along with B12 if they have gastric, indigestion, and heartburn.

Animal products that carry B12 are beef and beef liver, lamb, snapper, venison, salmon, shrimp, scallops, chickens and the egg yolk. I remember as a child having to eat liver at once a week and I didn’t like the texture. However, my Mom was strict about eating everything on your plate. What ever was served you had to eat it! Eating liver used to be common but I don’t know anyone that eats liver often. I don’t want to eat animal products from factory farms because of antibiotics and chemicals like glyphosate consumed through eating corn and soy products. additionally ruminants only eat grass and become sick when fed grain and soy.

Among pregnant women, nursing women and infants, the effects of vitamin B12 deficiency can be particularly devastating. Pregnant women with B12 deficiency carry an increased risk of having a baby born with neural tube defects, a class of birth defects affecting the infant's brain and spinal cord. Spina bifida, which can cause paralysis, is a type of neural tube defect, as is anencephaly, which is fatal. A B12 deficiency has also been linked to infertility and repeated miscarriages Pregnant and nursing women vitamin B12 deficiency can experience problems. Pregnant women that are deficient in B12 can increase the risk of Spina bifida. This can cause paralysis, neural tube defect, which can be be fatal, including a large part of the brain is missing called anencephaly.

There are options if you are open to eating eggs and dairy, like raw milk and organic free range eggs. Seafood can provide B12 but with all the pollution in our oceans I don’t eat seafood. There are B12 supplements but they are expensive! If you are older like me you may want to take B12 supplants because the stomachs production of hydrochloric acid decreases, which is needed to releases vitamin B12 from your food. I eat gallbladder friendly food, my favorite is red beets. I ferment my own beets and get a double whammy, gut friendly food and gallbladder friendly too.

Most vitamins sold in stores and pharmacies are of poor quality and I cannot give you advice on which brand is the best. You will have to do your own research.

You can bypass your digestion and buy B12 you can take a the vitamin orally. You can also get B12 a injections but that is very costly!

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