Soy Free Diet

The soy free diet has shown benefit in Autism Spectrum Disorders.  Soy is high in phyto-estrogens which have been shown to stimulate the estrogen receptors.  High estrogen receptor stimulation inhibits MAO-A.  Children with an ASD have decreased MAO-A activity and so by decreasing their estrogen, such as through a soy free diet, this will help prevent further inhibition of their MAO-A.  Unlike gluten and casein that may be added back into the diet in small amounts with children on Respen-A, soy should be avoided even though the child may be on Respen-A.

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Casein Free Diet

The casein free diet has shown benefits similar to the gluten free diet in children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder.  Casein is a protein found in dairy products.  It is not a natural protein found in humans. The scientific rationale for the benefits seen from the casein free diet, is due to the hypersensitization of the mast cells that line the intestines causing them to over-react to this foreign protien, casein, when ingested.  The etiology of the hypersensitization of the mast cells is the mitochondrial deficiency caused by MAO-A deficiency, resulting in lactic acid production.  The build-up of lactic acid causes calcium phosphate to be pulled from storage compartments in the body such as the bones.  The phosphate neutralizes the acid, leaving free-unbound calcium in the blood.  The free-unbound calcium goes into the mast cells and excites them, causing them to become hypersensitive.  Normally, mast cells detecting casein in the gut would not react, but because of them being put on red-alert by the calcium, they actually over-react.   This results in an inflammatory response which contributes to digestive absorption problems.  This irritation in the gut results in more serotonin production by the gut.  (Please see the Gluten Free Diet post for the effects of increase serotonin production by the gut in ASD).

 The active ingredient in Respen-A is reserpine, which increases the activity of MAO-A, thus reducing the production of lactic acid.  This reduction in lactic acid production reduces the amout of free calcium influx into the mast cells.  Respen-A also, has an added benefit, reduces calcium by pushing it into the urine and into the bones, which in turn reduces the hypersensitivity of the mast cells.  Consequently, a child using Respen-A, overtime may find that they can tolerate some dairy products in their diet once again.

Gluten Free Diet

Many children, with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, have seen benefit from a gluten free diet.  The scientific rationale for this benefit is because gluten stimulates serotonin production and mobilization (release).  In ASD there is a deficiency in MAO-A activity, resulting in a build-up of serotonin because MAO-A breaks down serotonin into it’s active aldehyde.  This build-up of serotonin inhibits oxytocin nerve growth, increases in cortisol production, and increases beta-endorphin production, all of which are seen in ASD.  So gluten compounds the problem by stimulating the gut to produce and release more serotonin into the blood stream.  This is why a gluten free diet has been beneficial to many children with a spectrum disorder.

The active ingredient in Respen-A is reserpine.  Research shows that reserpine will double the activity of MAO-A.  Thus by increasing the activity of MAO-A with Respen-A, the serotonin level is decreased and converted into its active aldehyde metabolite.  Because of this breakdown of serotonin by MAO-A, serotonin must be replenished, such as through eating meat or taking the supplement of L-Tryptophan daily.  We have found that in some children on a gluten free diet, just eating meat or taking L-Tryptophan, isn’t adequate after being on Respen-A.  These children often show improvement in the first month to six months of using Respen-A and then they start to exhibit a return of their symptoms or become withdrawn, depressed, and sad.   We find that these children have needed to add back into their diet a little bit of gluten.  The reason is, L-Tryptophan from meat is the precursor to producing serotonin.  The serotonin that is produced, is then stored in vesicles in the cell.  The serotonin must then be released or mobilized from these vesicles into the synapse (the nerve junction), where it can be converted by MAO-A to its active aldehyde.  Gluten triggers the mobilization and release of the serotonin from the vesicles.