The origin of autism is understood to be complicated, but includes inherited and environmental factors.  The disease has seen a rapid increase of frequency according to the CDC* in the United States.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an environmental toxin found around the world.  It has estrogen activity and is found in the following products:  Baby bottles, household plastics, food cans, beverage containers, register receipts.  Most BPA comes to us in our food, but can also come by air and by skin contact.  Most body fluids contain BPA, including Mother’s milk.

The issue here is whether BPA causes neurodegeneration such as seen with autism.  A recent study showed that autistic children often don’t handle BPA well.  Some studies have suggested a connection between autism and BPA exposure.  Rat and mice models of autism with exposure to BPA were said to have disturbed serotonin function.

Essential amino acids are needed for our bodies to produce proteins and neurotransmitters.  For example, the amino acid tryptophan is needed to produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter important to the nervous system.  Other neurotransmitters are also needed for nervous system function.  A variety of serotonin production abnormalities have been found in children with autism when compared to nonautistic children.  Significantly, some autistic children have been found to have high levels of serotonin.

CONCLUSION:  There has been suggestive evidence that BPA alters function of the serotonin system, and this could be related to the origin of autism in the fetus.  Many more studies are needed to confirm this.

NOTES:  *Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States.

To read the author’s abstract of the article click on the title of the article.  Unfortunately, the full article is in French, so this summary is based on the abstract only.

Rainbow Grocery sells the following products:  Tryptophan, products containing essential amino acids.

Summary #713.

PMID:  27623126.