Rates of autism have increased nearly 60-fold since the late 1970s, with the
most significant increases occurring in the past decade. The latest
numbers for the U.S. shows it affects about one in 150 American
However, according to an article in the Daily Mail (July 9, 2007) the rate of autism in Great Britain may now be as high as 1 in 58!
This shocking number was the outcome of a study performed by Cambridge Professor Baron-Cohen and his team. They looked at the
incidence of autism among 12,000 children at Cambridgeshire primary
schools between 2001 and 2004.
Professor Baron-Cohen believes a combination of genetics and environmental factors such as pesticides and exposure to excessive hormones in the womb are potential culprits for the rise.
Environmental triggers that cannot be ignored include:
In this case, an abnormal immune reaction primes your immune system to react against your body’s organs, as it creates “organ-specific” autoantibodies against itself. In the case of autistic autoimmune
reactions, the organ in question is mainly your brain. However,
gastrointestinal problems, such as “leaky gut” are also a common
The strongest link exists between the measles virus antibodies (from the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine) and anti-myelin basic protein (MBP), suggesting that exposure to the measles virus may trigger an
autoimmune response that interferes with the development of myelin. If
myelin in your brain doesn't develop properly, nerve fibers won't work
as they should, giving rise to the brain abnormalities associated with
When not broken down, the milk protein caseinate produces exorphins -- morphine-like compounds -- that become absorbed by areas of your brain where they cause cells to dysfunction. The findings suggest that
an intestinal flaw, such as a malfunctioning enzyme, is to blame for
your inability to break down this milk protein.
Researchers have discovered that the protein is absorbed by 32 different areas of your brain, including sections responsible for vision, hearing and communication, which could account for many
behavioral symptoms of both diseases.
After more than five years of research on children with autism they found that EMR negatively affects cell membranes, allowing heavy metal toxins, which are associated with autism, to build up in your body.
EMR can trap heavy metals inside of nerve cells, which could accelerate the
onset of symptoms of heavy metal toxicity, and hinder your body’s
natural clearance of the toxins.