Nutritional epigenetics education improves diet and attitude of parents of children with autism or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

BACKGROUND

Unhealthy maternal diet leads to heavy metal exposures from the consumption of ultra-processed foods that may impact gene behavior across generations, creating conditions for the neurodevelopmental disorders known as autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Children with these disorders have difficulty metabolizing and excreting heavy metals from their bloodstream, and the severity of their symptoms correlates with the heavy metal levels measured in their blood. Psychiatrists may play a key role in helping parents reduce their ultra-processed food and dietary heavy metal intake by providing access to effective nutritional epigenetics education.

AIM

To test the efficacy of nutritional epigenetics instruction in reducing parental ultra-processed food intake.

METHODS

The study utilized a semi-randomized test and control group pretest-posttest pilot study design with participants recruited from parents having a learning-disabled child with autism or ADHD. Twenty-two parents who met the inclusion criteria were randomly selected to serve in the test (n = 11) or control (n = 11) group. The test group participated in the six-week online nutritional epigenetics tutorial, while the control group did not. The efficacy of the nutritional epigenetics instruction was determined by measuring changes in parent diet and attitude using data derived from an online diet survey administered to the participants during the pre and post intervention periods. Diet intake scores were derived for both ultra-processed and whole/organic foods. Paired sample t-tests were conducted to determine any differences in mean diet scores within each group.

RESULTS

There was a significant difference in the diet scores of the test group between the pre- and post-intervention periods. The parents in the test group significantly reduced their intake of ultra-processed foods with a pre-intervention diet score of 70 (mean = 5.385, SD = 2.534) and a post-intervention diet score of 113 (mean = 8.692, SD = 1.750) and the paired t-test analysis showing a significance of P < 0.001. The test group also significantly increased their consumption of whole and/or organic foods with a pre-intervention diet score of 100 (mean = 5.882, SD = 2.472) and post-intervention diet score of 121 (mean = 7.118, SD = 2.390) and the paired t-test analysis showing a significance of P < 0.05.

CONCLUSION

Here we show nutritional epigenetics education can be used to reduce ultra-processed food intake and improve attitude among parents having learning-disabled children with autism or ADHD.

Higher rates of autism and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder in American children: Are food quality issues impacting epigenetic inheritance?

In the United States, schools offer special education services to children who are diagnosed with a learning or neurodevelopmental disorder and have difficulty meeting their learning goals. Pediatricians may play a key role in helping children access special education services. The number of children ages 6-21 in the United States receiving special education services increased 10.4% from 2006 to 2021. Children receiving special education services under the autism category increased 242% during the same period. The demand for special education services for children under the developmental delay and other health impaired categories increased by 184% and 83% respectively. Although student enrollment in American schools has remained stable since 2006, the percentage distribution of children receiving special education services nearly tripled for the autism category and quadrupled for the developmental delay category by 2021. Allowable heavy metal residues remain persistent in the American food supply due to food ingredient manufacturing processes. Numerous clinical trial data indicate heavy metal exposures and poor diet are the primary epigenetic factors responsible for the autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder epidemics. Dietary heavy metal exposures, especially inorganic mercury and lead may impact gene behavior across generations. In 2021, the United States Congress found heavy metal residues problematic in the American food supply but took no legislative action. Mandatory health warning labels on select foods may be the only way to reduce dietary heavy metal exposures and improve child learning across generations.

Connecting inorganic mercury and lead measurements in blood to dietary sources of exposure that may impact child development

Pre-natal and post-natal chemical exposures and co-exposures from a variety of sources including contaminated air, water, soil, and food are common and associated with poorer birth and child health outcomes. Poor diet is a contributing factor in the development of child behavioral disorders. Child behavior and learning can be adversely impacted when gene expression is altered by dietary transcription factors such as zinc insufficiency or deficiency or by exposure to toxic substances permitted in our food supply such as mercury, lead, or organophosphate pesticide residue. Children with autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders exhibit decreased or impaired PON1 gene activity which is needed by the body to metabolize and excrete neurotoxic organophosphate pesticides. In this current review we present an updated macroepigenetic model that explains how dietary inorganic mercury and lead exposures from unhealthy diet may lead to elevated blood mercury and/or lead levels and the development of symptoms associated with the autism and attention deficit-hyperactivity disorders. PON1 gene activity may be suppressed by inadequate dietary calcium, selenium, and fatty acid intake or exposures to lead or mercury. The model may assist clinicians in diagnosing and treating the symptoms associated with these childhood neurodevelopmental disorders. Recommendations for future research are provided based on the updated model and review of recently published literature.

First Report of Southern Blight Caused by Sclerotium rolfsii on St.-John's-Wort

Interest in commercial production of common St.-John's-wort (Hypericum perforatum L.), an herb that is dried, processed, and used as an anti-depressant medication, is increasing. In August 1998, St.-John's-wort growing in the field at Charleston, SC, showed blight symptoms. Leaves on prostrate branches turned reddish-yellow, then brown, and then abscised. As the disease progressed, branches and approximately 10% of the plants were killed. Coarse, white mycelia were present on the bases of dead branches. Segments cut from symptomatic branches were disinfested in 0.5% sodium hypochlorite and placed on potato dextrose agar (PDA) at 25°C. Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. was isolated from one of 12 branches with discolored leaves and six of six dead branches. For pathogenicity tests, sclerotia were harvested from 6-week-old cultures on PDA. Ten-week-old St.-John's-wort plants, growing in potting mix in 10-cm pots, were inoculated by placing four sclerotia on the soil surface 1 to 1.5 cm from the main stem of each plant. Plants were grown in a greenhouse at 90% relative humidity and 25 to 35°C. Single blighted branches were observed on three plants 12 days after inoculation and all plants were blighted 28 days after inoculation. S. rolfsii was recovered from 10 and 9 of 10 plants inoculated with isolates of S. rolfsii from St.-John's-wort and tomato, respectively. All 10 noninoculated plants remained symptomless. The pathogenicity test was repeated and the results were similar. This is the first report of S. rolfsii causing Southern blight on St.-John's-wort in the United States.