good and informative on enzymes,SCD, GFCF, B 12

[Guest guest]

This is a DR. (link below) answering a lot of questions

what is your opinion of diet change versus the use of enzymes in autism and ADHD? Finally, are Houston Enzymes really better than those from Kirkman or other companies?

These are truly excellent questions, ones that have led me to do more research and fine-tune my own understanding of enzyme therapy and diet. Questions like these help me become a better practitioner.

First of all, let me stress that I have no financial ties to Kirkman Laboratories, Houston Nutraceuticals or any other supplement company. My only loyalty is to those who choose to trust me for advice. I only recommend products that I feel are the very best of their kind, regardless of the manufacturer.

answers many questions on different things like GFCF, SCD, Enzymes, B-12...just part of a lot more info on this site below....

I recently read the book you mention and although it tells an interesting story I can't say I would recommend it, primarily because the author makes too many inaccurate and misleading statements and doesn't seem to really understand the goals of dietary intervention.

For many parents, including the author, diet change is viewed as an imposition rather than a path to health. Replacing ice cream, cookies, cakes, breads, and donuts with gluten- and casein-free versions of the same foods rather than choosing to serve and eat cleaner and more nutritious foods does not help a child's system heal. Also, if your mindset is that you are just trying to replace junk foods with like-tasting gluten- and casein-free versions, chances are you will find the search/substitution game endlessly frustrating.

Because some children (and often their parents) are strongly addicted to these types of foods and because our society values them as part of a "normal" childhood, the whole process of substituting on a limited basis or eliminating them altogether seems unthinkable to many. It's just so much easier to pop a few enzyme pills.

The only way you can see things differently is if you realize that children in this country are growing up on a terribly impoverished and nutrient-depleted diet, loaded with synthetic chemicals and dyes, sugar, stimulants and other non-foods with virtually no redeeming qualities.

This is a major contributing factor to the unprecedented crisis in children's health, with the highest rates ever recorded of ear infections, asthma, allergies, obesity, diabetes, plus increasing numbers of an array of neurological conditions like autism, ADHD, depression, and bipolar disorder.

Brains need nourishment like any other organ, and this nourishment must come first and foremost in the form of pure natural foods. If a child's brain, digestive and immune systems have been hurt because of exposure to mercury or other toxins, doesn't it make sense that the first step in promoting recovery should be to ensure the best nourishment possible?

This is why I recommend that parents start out by focusing on a slow and gradual transition to a diet made up of natural whole foods, organic whenever possible. This is by far the most important and most valuable first step, although it can be difficult and patience is a must.

Gradually shift your focus. Only use the healthiest oils; the brain needs good fats. Eliminate processed junk foods one at a time. I often advise parents to replace really bad junk food with less-bad junk food as an interim step. As another interim step, vegetables can be pureed and hidden in hamburger meat and there are many tricks that I have learned over the years - often from parents - to help "supercharge" a child's diet. Foods I call super-foods are packed with vitamins, minerals and fatty acids. Freshly ground flax and sesame seeds, kelp, raw nuts, whole grains are just a few of them. These can be added to drinks or used in baking. Anything out of a box or can should be gradually phased out; foods like this are just not good enough for children whose brains need to heal!

Once these steps have been achieved, at least partially, avoiding gluten and casein becomes a minor adjustment because you are no longer relying on packaged foods that always contain these ingredients. You might be surprised along the way to discover how many gluten-free flours can be used to make breads, and actually one of the most delicious breads I have ever tasted contains no grain at all (see Recipes in Newsletters).

The rationale for eliminating gluten and casein is that these foods are poorly tolerated and stress the digestive system, thus preventing or delaying recovery. Most of these foods are highly processed and loaded with sugar and other additives, so they are not beneficial to begin with and there isn't much of a nutrient loss in giving them up. The key is to replace them with nutritious substitutes, avoiding non-foods like potato milk. Enzymes can also help in a transition and can help promote digestive recovery, but there's one thing enzymes can't do, and that's turn junk food into health food! Most children will improve, some dramatically, with these dietary changes, but if improvements are disappointing, this should not be a reason to go back to old habits. What exactly was healthy about those old habits? Instead this should give us incentive to look for a better approach. For example, some children have a tendency to develop new sensitivities to foods they eat frequently and do best temporarily on a rotation diet, where foods are rotated every four days.

Another diet program that has been tremendously beneficial for many children is the Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD). This diet is described in the highly recommended book "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" by Elaine Gottschall. The book also explains why this diet can be so beneficial, and provides an array of wonderful and kid-friendly recipes.

The SCD contains some casein and is not suitable for those who are strictly allergic to dairy, but it avoids all grains and other starches like potatoes, thus removing an enormous source of stress for the digestive system. The types of casein allowed are highly specific and are significant sources of so-called "lactic acid bacteria" that plays a major role in promoting intestinal health. Because they can be helpful, I recommend that all kids (even those not going on the full diet program) try these foods after a period of strict casein elimination. To the extent that enzymes can be used to help tolerate these healing foods, I am clearly in favor of it.

Enzymes should also be tried because they can make a major difference, not only in digestion, but also in every aspect of behavior, attention span, eye contact and so on. Response to enzymes is very variable and while some children will not tolerate them at all, others will benefit to varying degrees.

An important point is that enzymes should be dosed according to need. Every child will need a different amount of enzymes with meals depending on how healthy or unhealthy his/her digestive system is and sometimes enzymes can also help when taken between meals. If a small dose doesn't help, try giving a little more and keep increasing the dose slowly until you become sure they don't help at all or you reach the maximum benefit.

Finding the optimal formulation for each child can also be a decisive factor, and if a certain product doesn't seem to help, I recommend trying a different one. Labels can also be misleading, and I have seen cases where the newest and most comprehensive formulas did not help as much as simpler, "antiquated" products.

As long as your child isn't allergic to the enzymes, they won't hurt. Nor will the body suddenly forget how to make its own enzymes. They're also not meant to be taken forever, but for an interim period, maybe even a few years, they can give the body a break and a chance to heal.

The original project to develop enzymes specifically formulated for children with autism or ADHD was started by a group of Defeat Autism Now! (DAN) scientists almost ten years ago, and eventually led to the formulation of a product named Serenaid that is still produced under a patent owned by Klaire Laboratories. This product is the only one ever patented and this is a clear indication that other products were not as innovative or unique.

More research led to the development of a second-generation product called Enzym-Aid, this time produced by Kirkman Laboratories. Still more research and the availability of newer and more efficient enzymes led Kirkman to launch a variety of new formulas in the past few years, particularly a broad-range supplement called Enzym-Complete with DPP-IV and a more narrow-range protein-digesting enzyme called Peptidase Complete.

These new products were innovative in two major ways. First, they incorporated new protein-digesting enzymes, particularly one called DPP-IV, found to be specifically deficient in many autistic children. They also incorporated a new understanding that these children's digestion of fat and carbohydrates was also often impaired.

Many parents feel strongly that the products from Houston Nutraceuticals are better and have become extremely active advocates for these products. Unfortunately, much of this enthusiasm seems to be misguided and based on claims that these products enable children to tolerate junk food better.

After analyzing and comparing labels, and speaking with technicians who work in the field of enzyme production and formulation, I cannot find any clear advantage to the Houston products over those from Kirkman. I have also not personally observed widespread incremental benefits from using the Houston products. At the same time it is clear to me that the Houston enzymes are safe and can be tried - but appropriately, within the context of a health-enhancing diet and supplement program.

One of the Houston enzyme products, called No-Fenol, led to a great deal of controversy concerning its safety when first introduced. Although Houston claimed it represented a major innovation, in reality it did not. Virtually identical products had been available for years from various manufacturers, including Enzymedica.

So-called phenol sensitivities are common in individuals with autism and ADHD and manifest as reactions, sometimes severe, to common fruits and their juices. The enzymes contained in No-Fenol do nothing to eliminate or digest phenols, but help digest the fibrous cell walls found in plant foods. When children digest fruits better, phenols become less of a problem and this is a perfectly legitimate use of digestive enzymes.

An interesting benefit of these products is that they can also help control intestinal yeast overgrowth if taken on an empty stomach because many yeast cells have the same fibrous cell walls as plants. It is not clear if the enzymes can actually kill yeast cells, but they can weaken them making them more vulnerable to other interventions.

Recently Kirkman also launched a similar product called Phenol Assist, which may actually be a slight improvement over the Houston version. Any original doubts regarding the safety of these products should be dispelled by this time. They present no risk whatsoever and can be used as both an adjunct for yeast control and as digestive aids for raw fruits and vegetables.

I have been reading many reports about how daily injections of vitamin B-12 in the methyl form help autistic and PDD children achieve better eye contact and speech. What is your opinion on this and would you recommend this therapy for my child?

I have read these same reports and, as you know, I am interested in exploring any avenue that may prove beneficial for children as long as it is safe.

I have no doubt as to the safety of methyl-B-12 injections but I wonder if this aggressive approach is absolutely necessary in all cases. For example, the improvements that are being reported in eye contact and speech are not unlike improvements I have been seeing for a long time with diet change and targeted supplementation without any injections at all.

In addition, some doctors are using vitamin B-12 as a cream that is absorbed through The message is ready to be sent with the following file or link attachments:Shortcut to: http://www.doctorvolpe.com/qa.htmlNote: To protect against computer viruses, e-mail programs may prevent sending or receiving certain types of file attachments. Check your e-mail security settings to determine how attachments are handled.