Dietary changer can improve brain functioning ?

Whether dietary changes can improve brain functioning is still unclear.

By Tina Hesman Saey.


Parents often report that tummy troubles and autism go hand in hand. Some have even suggested that special diets can reduce autism symptoms. Now new research, published in the March Pediatrics, shows that there is a genetic link between autism and gastrointestinal disorders.
Researchers from Vanderbilt University had previously linked a genetic variant in the control panel of the MET gene to autism. The study is the first to demonstrate a possible genetic cause for the co-occurrence of autism and digestive tract problems.


Some people sampled in the study also have a double dose of the MET C allele but have neither autism nor reported gastrointestinal problems. There are also children with two C versions who have autism but not stomach problems.
“The change in diet is not changing brain structure, it’s just making the kid feel less sick,” he says.
“What they’ve shown is that autism and gastrointestinal disorders are co-occurring,” Herbert says. “That’s a very welcome development, and these people should be commended for recognizing that autism doesn’t just affect the brain, it affects the whole person.”
The MET gene may be one example; when the gene’s activity is disrupted, multiple body functions go wrong, including brain activity and digestive system function.

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