Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) can turn your life upside down. Caring for a child with ASD affects everyone in your family and every corner of your life. The symptoms, the struggles…you’d do almost anything to make it better.
But with all of the models and tips on how to live easier with autism, what's really the best way to help a child live a more comfortable life?? The answer lies in the gut: Look for a way to balance their microbiome (the trillions of bacteria that live in their gut) and you will find a simple, safe way to improve symptoms and behaviors.
Changing the gut changes everything
Changing the microbiome makeup can have a profoundly positive and lasting effect on both physical issues and ASD behaviors. That includes:
- Reduced irritability
- More eye contact
- Better communication
- Fewer GI (gastrointestinal) symptoms
And thanks to a groundbreaking study, we know exactly how rebalancing the gut microbiome can help children with ASD.
Changes in Gut Bacteria Improve ASD Symptoms by 47%
A couple of years ago, a team of researchers looked into the connection between gut bacteria and ASD symptoms. They recruited 18 children with ASD, and rebooted their microbiomes completely in an 8-week clinical trial that included fecal transplant.
They found promising data that, by altering the gut microbiome, they were able to help improve GI and behavioral symptoms of ASD, including:
- 80% improvement in GI symptoms (like constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain)
- 24% reduction in CARS (Childhood Autism Rating Scale) scores
- decreased irritability
- reduced hyperactivity
- improved communication and socialization
- better daily living skills
- 4 year increase in developmental age
Those same researchers just published a two-year follow-up to that original study. It found that, not only did those improvements last for two years, they got even better:
At the two-year check back, CARS scores had decreased by an incredible 47%. And while almost all of the children scored in the severe range at the start of the original trial, 39% now placed in the mild to moderate range… and 44% scored below ASD cut-off.
On every single scale they looked at, they saw impressive improvements. That includes an average 2.5-year increase in developmental age.
Fixing GI Symptoms Makes Everything Better
Get this: People with ASD are at least four times more likely to suffer dysbiosis (a condition where the bad bacteria in the gut outnumber the good).
That’s why GI problems are so common in ASD. And when GI issues are worse, other symptoms and behaviors may intensify.
In fact, research shows that more intense dysbiosis is directly linked with regression – a situation when children with ASD lose communication and social skills.
Spore Probiotics Promote Positive Gut Changes
While fecal transplants may work for some, it's not always the best solution. (Stay tuned for an article about fecal transplants coming soon!)
But there is an easy, "everyday" way to rebalance the microbiome: Fixing the gut microbiome with spore probiotics! Taking a daily spore probiotic basically sends in beneficial bacteria to rebalance the gut, helping to relieve GI symptoms like:
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Bloating
- Gas
- Abdominal pain
- Indigestion
- Food allergies
The benefits of the symptomatic relief then help to create a more comfortable child…but they don’t stop there.
A healthier gut breaks down and absorbs essential nutrients more effectively – and that leads to a more thoroughly nourished brain. Plus, beneficial gut bacteria produce important brain chemicals (called neurotransmitters) such as serotonin and dopamine… also know as “feel-good” chemicals that go a long way toward improving:
- Mood
- Learning ability
- Behavior
- Attention
- Thinking
- Social interactions
- Depression
- Anxiety
Add it all up and that can lead to positive changes in ASD behaviors.
Taming inflammation soothes the brain
Two major factors – inflammation and oxidative stress – play huge roles in autism symptoms, both creating them and making them worse. But get them under control by rebalancing the gut microbiome, and it can lead to welcome improvements in autism behaviors.
Inflammation causes all sorts of damage when it spirals out of control – and that includes upsetting brain cells. That’s why inflammation plays such a big part in autism development and its most distressing symptoms. Research shows us that autistic children tend to have higher levels of pro-inflammatory compounds (called cytokines) in their brains.
Bad bacteria in the gut causes inflammation throughout the body and the brain. Supplying the microbiome with beneficial spore probiotics shut down those bad bacteria and the inflammation-causing chemicals they produce. That calms brain inflammation – reversing one of the key problems associated with autism symptoms.
Fighting free radicals improves autism symptoms
Research shows that oxidative stress also plays a key role in causing autism symptoms and behaviors. Before we get to the fix, let’s take a second to talk about what’s really going on here.
Free radicals are unstable molecules that “steal” from healthy cells, causing all kinds of damage. Antioxidants step in to give the free radicals what they need to stabilize, so they’ll leave healthy cells alone. Oxidative stress happens when the body doesn’t have enough antioxidants to neutralize all the free radicals floating around. That’s especially damaging to vulnerable young brain cells.
Dysbiosis increases oxidative stress – so rebalancing the gut helps reduce free radicals.
Even better, specific spore probiotics actually produce antioxidants.
In fact, Bacillus indicus HU36 is known to produce at least 15 carotenoids (a special kind of antioxidant) including beta-carotene and lycopene. These carotenoids neutralize damaging free radicals. And HU36 produces them right in the gut, exactly where they’re best absorbed and distributed.
Rebalancing the gut microbiome with spore probiotics reduces free radical damage, calms inflammation, reduces GI symptoms and can make a profound difference in ASD symptoms and behaviors.
Spark positive changes in ASD symptoms with a microbiome reboot
The clinically proven combination of spore probiotics in Just Thrive resets the gut microbiome to reverse dysbiosis. The four strains of spore probiotics in Just Thrive help ease GI symptoms, tame inflammation, and provide many other benefits.
Bacillus indicus HU36 produces powerful antioxidants that stop damaging free radicals.
Bacillus subtilis reduces inflammation and improves digestive health.
Bacillus coagulans improves GI issues and increases GI comfort.
Bacillus clausii helps beneficial bacteria survive and thrive, even after a course of antibiotics.
Just Thrive Probiotic is a 100% spore formula that comes in small, easy-to-open capsules. They can be easily mixed into and hidden in foods – including baked goods – without losing any of their effectiveness.
Let Just Thrive Probiotic reboot your child’s gut bacteria today.
