Always seeking safe and effective supplements to help heal
Alex’s body from the effects of autism, I have been a firm believer in the
value of vitamin D3 to keep him healthy. Upon the recommendation of his
previous doctor, Alex has taken vitamin D3 supplements daily for the past few
years. Recent research indicates that, indeed, vitamin D3 supplements prove
quite beneficial to children with autism, perhaps because many of them have
vitamin D deficiencies.
According to Web MD.com, vitamin D is found in small amounts in a few foods, including fatty fish, such as sardines and tuna. Fortified dairy products, juices, and cereals have added vitamin D. However, the vast majority, namely eighty to ninety percent, of vitamin D comes from exposure to sunlight. Hence, vitamin D is sometimes referred to as “the sunshine vitamin.” People who live in northern regions, such as Canada and the northern half of the United States, are at risk of vitamin D deficiency because of the lack of sunshine for several months of the year. In addition, even those who have more exposure to sunshine may also be vitamin D deficient if they stay indoors or try to prevent skin cancer by wearing sunscreen or protective clothing. Nonetheless, vitamin D is crucial for maintaining healthy bones, boosting the immune system, and preventing autoimmune disorders and cancer. Consequently, vitamin D supplements, typically in the form of cholecalciferol, may benefit many people, not just those with autism.
In the January 2018 issue of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, researchers primarily based at Assiut University in Egypt published an article entitled, “Randomized controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation in children with autism spectrum disorder.” [To read this article, please click here.] For their study, they included 109 children with autism––85 boys and 24 girls––ages 3-10. In this double-blind study, the children received vitamin D3 supplements or a placebo for four months. Those receiving vitamin D3 were given 300 I.U. per kilogram daily with a maximum dosage of 5000 I.U. per day.
Using typical autism assessments, including the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, the Social Responsiveness Scale, and the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist, the researchers evaluated how profoundly each child was impacted by autism before and after the four-month study. In addition, the researchers measured the levels of vitamin D in the children’s blood at the beginning and end of the study.
Researchers noted that the children tolerated the vitamin D3 supplements quite well, despite the high doses. Moreover, they determined, “The autism symptoms of the children improved significantly following 4-month vitamin D3 supplementation, but not in the placebo group.” The researchers additionally concluded that this study shows the “efficacy and tolerability of vitamin D3 in children with ASD.”
A similar study done in China and the Netherlands further supports the benefits of vitamin D3 supplements for children with autism. In the June 2017 issue of Nutritional Neuroscience, these researchers published an article entitled, “Clinical improvement following vitamin D3 supplementation in Autism Spectrum Disorder.” [To read this article, please click here.] For this research, five hundred children were included––215 with autism and 285 typically developing children.
Of the children with autism, 37 received vitamin D3 supplements for three months. As with the study done in Egypt, autism evaluations, specifically the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, were used to assess the children’s autism symptoms at the beginning and end of the research. Also, their blood levels of vitamin D were tested before and after the study was done. The researchers noted that the serum levels of vitamin D were “significantly lower” in the children with autism than in the typical children.
After three months of vitamin D3 supplements, the severity of autism symptoms, as indicated by the standard autism evaluations, was greatly reduced. Consequently, the researchers concluded that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to symptoms of autism. In addition, the researchers deem vitamin D to be a safe and inexpensive treatment that “may significantly improve the outcome of some children with ASD.”
Both of these research studies demonstrate the value of supplementation with vitamin D3 for children with autism. The improvements seen in relatively short periods of time (three and four months) indicate that vitamin D3 works quickly to alleviate some symptoms of autism. Perhaps some metabolic issue found in autism requires that these children need vitamin D3 supplements to address deficiencies. More research may be needed to find the connection between vitamin D deficiency and autism, and maybe trial runs of vitamin D supplementation under medical supervision would benefit children with autism. Certainly, the significant improvements noted in the children who participated in these studies offer hope that a simple, safe, and inexpensive solution may help many children with autism lead healthier and better lives.
“For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” Psalm 84:11
According to Web MD.com, vitamin D is found in small amounts in a few foods, including fatty fish, such as sardines and tuna. Fortified dairy products, juices, and cereals have added vitamin D. However, the vast majority, namely eighty to ninety percent, of vitamin D comes from exposure to sunlight. Hence, vitamin D is sometimes referred to as “the sunshine vitamin.” People who live in northern regions, such as Canada and the northern half of the United States, are at risk of vitamin D deficiency because of the lack of sunshine for several months of the year. In addition, even those who have more exposure to sunshine may also be vitamin D deficient if they stay indoors or try to prevent skin cancer by wearing sunscreen or protective clothing. Nonetheless, vitamin D is crucial for maintaining healthy bones, boosting the immune system, and preventing autoimmune disorders and cancer. Consequently, vitamin D supplements, typically in the form of cholecalciferol, may benefit many people, not just those with autism.
In the January 2018 issue of the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry and Allied Disciplines, researchers primarily based at Assiut University in Egypt published an article entitled, “Randomized controlled trial of vitamin D supplementation in children with autism spectrum disorder.” [To read this article, please click here.] For their study, they included 109 children with autism––85 boys and 24 girls––ages 3-10. In this double-blind study, the children received vitamin D3 supplements or a placebo for four months. Those receiving vitamin D3 were given 300 I.U. per kilogram daily with a maximum dosage of 5000 I.U. per day.
Using typical autism assessments, including the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, the Aberrant Behavior Checklist, the Social Responsiveness Scale, and the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist, the researchers evaluated how profoundly each child was impacted by autism before and after the four-month study. In addition, the researchers measured the levels of vitamin D in the children’s blood at the beginning and end of the study.
Researchers noted that the children tolerated the vitamin D3 supplements quite well, despite the high doses. Moreover, they determined, “The autism symptoms of the children improved significantly following 4-month vitamin D3 supplementation, but not in the placebo group.” The researchers additionally concluded that this study shows the “efficacy and tolerability of vitamin D3 in children with ASD.”
A similar study done in China and the Netherlands further supports the benefits of vitamin D3 supplements for children with autism. In the June 2017 issue of Nutritional Neuroscience, these researchers published an article entitled, “Clinical improvement following vitamin D3 supplementation in Autism Spectrum Disorder.” [To read this article, please click here.] For this research, five hundred children were included––215 with autism and 285 typically developing children.
Of the children with autism, 37 received vitamin D3 supplements for three months. As with the study done in Egypt, autism evaluations, specifically the Aberrant Behavior Checklist and the Childhood Autism Rating Scale, were used to assess the children’s autism symptoms at the beginning and end of the research. Also, their blood levels of vitamin D were tested before and after the study was done. The researchers noted that the serum levels of vitamin D were “significantly lower” in the children with autism than in the typical children.
After three months of vitamin D3 supplements, the severity of autism symptoms, as indicated by the standard autism evaluations, was greatly reduced. Consequently, the researchers concluded that vitamin D deficiency may contribute to symptoms of autism. In addition, the researchers deem vitamin D to be a safe and inexpensive treatment that “may significantly improve the outcome of some children with ASD.”
Both of these research studies demonstrate the value of supplementation with vitamin D3 for children with autism. The improvements seen in relatively short periods of time (three and four months) indicate that vitamin D3 works quickly to alleviate some symptoms of autism. Perhaps some metabolic issue found in autism requires that these children need vitamin D3 supplements to address deficiencies. More research may be needed to find the connection between vitamin D deficiency and autism, and maybe trial runs of vitamin D supplementation under medical supervision would benefit children with autism. Certainly, the significant improvements noted in the children who participated in these studies offer hope that a simple, safe, and inexpensive solution may help many children with autism lead healthier and better lives.
“For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right.” Psalm 84:11
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