Vitamin B6 (and magnesium) in the treatment of autism

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Vitamin B6 (and magnesium) in the treatment of autism

Bernard Rimland, Ph.D.

Autism Research Institute

4182 Avenue

San Diego, CA 92116

All 18 studies known to me in which vitamin B6 has been evaluated as

a treatment for autistic children have provided positive results.

This is a rather remarkable record, since the many drugs that have

been evaluated as treatments for autism have produced very

inconsistent results. If a drug shows positive results in about half

of the evaluation studies, it is considered a success and the drug is

then advocated for use with autistic patients. However, despite the

remarkably consistent findings in the research on the use of vitamin

B6 in the treatment of autism, and despite its being immeasurably

safer than any of the drugs used for autistic children, there are at

present very few practitioners who use it or advocate its use in the

treatment of autism.

Research on the use of vitamin B6 with autistic children began in the

1960s. In 1966 two British neurologists, A. F. Heeley and G. E.

, reported that 11 of 19 autistic children excreted abnormal

metabolites in their urine when given a tryptophan load test. Giving

these children a single 30 mg tablet of vitamin B6 normalized their

urine; however, no behavioral studies were done. A German

investigator, V. E. Bonisch, reported in 1968 that 12 of 16 autistic

children had shown considerable behavioral improvement when given

high dosage levels (100 mg to 600 mg per day) of vitamin B6. Three of

Bonisch's patients spoke for the first time after the vitamin B6 was

administered in this open clinical trial.

After my book Infantile Autism was published in 1964, I began

receiving hundreds of letters from parents of autistic children

throughout the United States, including a number who had tried the

then-new idea of " megavitamin therapy " on their autistic children.

Most had begun experimenting with various vitamins on their autistic

children as a result of reading books by popular nutrition writers. I

initially was quite skeptical about the remarkable improvement being

reported by some of these parents, but as the evidence accumulated,

my interest was aroused. A questionnaire sent to the 1,000 parents

then on my mailing list revealed that 57 had experimented with large

doses of vitamins. Many of these had seen positive results in their

children. As a result, I undertook a large-scale study, on over 200

autistic children, of megadose quantities of vitamin B6, niacinamide,

pantothenic acid, and vitamin C, along with a multiple-vitamin tablet

especially designed for the study. The children were living with

their parents throughout the U.S. and Canada, and each was medically

supervised by the family's own physician. (Over 600 parents had

volunteered for the study, but most could not overcome their

physicians' skepticism.)

At the end of the four-month trial it was clear that vitamin B6 was

the most important of the four vitamins we had investigated, and that

in some cases it brought about remarkable improvement. Between 30%

and 40% of the children showed significant improvement when the

vitamin B6 was given to them. A few of the children showed minor side

effects (irritability, sound sensitivity and bed-wetting), but these

quickly cleared up when additional magnesium was supplied, and the

magnesium confirmed additional benefits.

Two years later two colleagues and I initiated a second experimental

study of the use of megavitamin therapy on autistic children, this

time concentrating on vitamin B6 and magnesium. My co-investigators

were Professors Enoch Callaway of the University of California

Medical Center at San Francisco and Pierre Dreyfus of the University

of California Medical Center at . The double-blind placebo-

controlled crossover experiment utilized 16 autistic children, and

again produced statistically significant results. For most children

dosage levels of B6 ranged between 300 mg and 500 mg per day. Several

hundred mg/day of magnesium and a multiple-B tablet were also given,

to guard against B6-induced deficiencies of these other nutrients.

(In all probability, the temporary numbness and tingling resulting

from B6 megadoses, reported by Schaumburg et al., were the result of

induced deficiencies of other nutrients caused by taking B6 alone in

enormous amounts—a foolish thing to do.)

In both studies the children showed a remarkably wide range of

benefits from the vitamin B6. There was better eye contact, less self-

stimulatory behavior, more interest in the world around them, fewer

tantrums, more speech, and in general the children became more

normal, although they were not completely cured.

People vary enormously in their need for B6. The children who showed

improvement under B6 improved because they needed extra B6. Autism is

thus in many cases a vitamin B6 dependency syndrome.

After completing his participation in our study, Professor Callaway

visited France, where he persuaded Professor Gilbert LeLord and his

colleagues to undertake additional B6/magnesium research on autistic

children. The French researchers, although skeptical that anything as

innocuous as a vitamin could influence a disorder as profound as

autism, became believers after their first, reluctantly undertaken,

experiment on 44 hospitalized children. They have since published six

studies evaluating the use of vitamin B6, with and without additional

magnesium, on autistic children and adults. Their studies typically

used as much as a gram a day of vitamin B6 and half a gram of

magnesium.

LeLord and his colleagues measured not only the behavior of the

autistic children, but also their excretion of homovanillic acid

(HVA) and other metabolites in the urine. Additionally, they have

done several studies in which the effects of the vitamin B6 and/or

the magnesium on the brain electrical activity of the patients was

analyzed. All of these studies have produced positive results.

LeLord et al. recently summarized their results on 91 patients: 14%

improved markedly, 33% improved, 42% showed no improvement, and 11%

worsened. They noted that " in all our studies, no side effects were

observed…. " Presumably, no physical side effects were seen.

Several recent studies by two groups of U.S. investigators,

Gualtieri et al., at the University of North Carolina, and

Ellman et al., at Sonoma State Hospital in California, have also

shown positive results on autistic patients.

While no patient has been cured with the vitamin B6 and magnesium

treatment, there have been many instances where remarkable

improvement has been achieved. In one such case an 18-year-old

autistic patient was about to be evicted from the third mental

hospital in his city. Even massive amounts of drugs had no effect on

him, and he was considered too violent and assaultative to be kept in

the hospital. The psychiatrist tried the B6/magnesium approach as a

last resort. The young man calmed down very quickly. The psychiatrist

reported at a meeting that she had recently visited the family and

had found the young man to now be a pleasant and easy-going young

autistic person who sang and played his guitar for her.

Another example: a frantic mother phoned me to ask for information on

sheltered workshops in her city, since her 25-year-old autistic son

was about to be expelled for unmanageable behavior. I knew of no

alternate placements for the son, but I suggested that the mother try

Super Nu-Thera, a supplement containing B6, magnesium and other

nutrients. Within a few weeks she called again to tell me excitedly

that her son was doing very well now and his piecework pay had risen

dramatically from the minimum pay of $1.50 per week to $25 per week.

In view of the consistent findings showing the safety and efficacy of

the nutrients B6 and magnesium in treating autistic individuals, and

in view of the inevitability of short and/or long-term side effects

of drug use, it certainly seems that this safe and rational approach

should be tried before drugs are employed.

-----------------

This article appeared in the Autism Research Review International,

Vol. 1 (4), 1987. The Autism Research Review International is a

quarterly newsletter published by the Autism Research Institute (4182

Avenue, San Diego, CA 92116, U.S.A.).

The Autism Research Institute distributes an information packet on

vitamins, allergies, and nutritional treatments for autism.

Click here to learn how to obtain this packet.

Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine)

By WLR Dietitian

tte Kellow BSc RD

How much you need each day:

• 1.2mg for adult women

• 1.4mg for adult men

Why you need it:

This vitamin is involved in the metabolism of protein, especially the

conversion of tryptophan into niacin (see Vitamin B3). It's also

essential for the formation of red blood cells, antibodies and brain

chemicals called neurotransmitters. Some women also report that

vitamin B6 provides relief from the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome

(PMS).

Good food sources:

Vitamin B6 is found in many foods including fish, offal, pork, eggs,

yeast extract, brown rice, soya beans, oats, wholegrains, peanuts,

walnuts, avocado and bananas.

Too little:

A deficiency in this vitamin is extremely rare but can lead to

depression, headaches, confusion, irritability, cracking of the lips

and tongue, numbness in the hands and feet, anaemia and lowered

immunity.

Top tip:

If you want to take a supplement to help ease the symptoms of PMS

make sure it contains less than 10mg of vitamin B6. Very high doses

of this vitamin – usually provided in the form of supplements – are

linked with nerve damage, including numbness in the hands and feet.

Consequently, health experts recommend taking no more than 10mg a

day, unless advised otherwise by a medically-qualified doctor.

How to get enough:

Food Vitamin B6 Content (mg)

50g Swiss-style muesli 0.8

100g drained tuna, canned in water 0.5

90g lean roast pork 0.4

50g walnuts 0.3

1/2 medium avocado 0.3

1 medium banana 0.3

Magnesium Rich Foods

Magnesium is an essential mineral for human nutrition. Magnesium in

the body serves several important metabolic functions. It plays a

role in the production and transport of energy. It is also important

for the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Magnesium is involved

in the synthesis of protein, and it assists in the functioning of

certain enzymes in the body.

According to recent USDA surveys, the average intake of magnesium by

women 19 to 50 years of age was about 74 percent of the RDA. Men of

the same age got about 94 percent of the recommended amount. About 50

percent of women had intakes below 70 percent of their RDA.

These are the recommended daily requirements of magnesium:

• Children

o 1-3 years old: 80 milligrams

o 4-8 years old: 130 milligrams

o 9-13 years old: 240 milligrams

o 14-18 years old (boys): 410 milligrams

o 14-18 years old (girls): 360 milligrams

• Adult females: 310 milligrams

• Pregnancy: 360-400 milligrams

• Breastfeeding women: 320-360 milligrams

• Adult males: 400 milligram

What Foods are High in Magnesium?

Green vegetables such as spinach are good sources of magnesium

because the center of the chlorophyll molecule (which gives green

vegetables their color) contains magnesium. Some beans, peas, nuts,

seeds, and whole, unrefined grains are also good sources of

magnesium.

You should note that refined grains are generally low in magnesium.

When white flour is processed, the magnesium rich germ and bran are

removed. Bread made from whole grain wheat flour provides more

magnesium than bread made from white refined flour. Tap water can be

a source of magnesium, but the amount varies according to the water

supply. Water that naturally contains more minerals is described

as " hard " . " Hard " water usually contains more magnesium than " soft "

water.

List of Magnesium Rich Foods

Try to include as many foods rich in magnesium in your diet as

possible. Below is a list of foods containing magnesium.

Foods High in Magnesium Serving Size Magnesium (mg)

Beans, black 1 cup 120

Broccoli, raw 1 cup 22

Halibut 1/2 fillet 170

Nuts, peanuts 1 oz 64

Okra, frozen 1 cup 94

Oysters 3 oz 49

Plantain, raw 1 medium 66

Rockfish 1 fillet 51

Scallop 6 large 55

Seeds, pumpkin and squash 1 oz (142 seeds) 151

Soy milk 1 cup 47

Spinach, cooked 1 cup 157

Tofu 1/4 block 37

Whole grain cereal, ready-to-eat 3/4 cup 24

Whole grain cereal, cooked 1 cup 56

Whole wheat bread 1 slice 24

Some Good news about chocolate but not so good for coffee!

The Magnesium Web Site

MAGNESIUM ONLINE LIBRARY

Mason, Editor

P.O. Box 1417

, CA 95363

Magnesium:

A Key to Calcium Absorption

By Nan Fuchs, Ph.D.

Dr. Fuchs is a nutritional consultant in private practice in Santa

, CA, and is author of " The Nutrition Detective. "

One of the most popular minerals in the news today is calcium, needed

for strong bones and teeth. We are told to take increased amounts in

our diet as a supplement to prevent osteoporosis and eliminate muscle

cramping during menstruation or from over-exercising. Yet, calcium

alone is often not enough. Without magnesium, calcium may be not

fully utilized, and underabsorption problems may occur leading to

arthritis, osteoporosis, menstrual cramps, and some premenstrual

symptoms.

Perhaps the single most significant reason calcium malabsorption is

so common today is due to a discrepancy between what we eat and how

we digest and absorb the nutrients in our food. Our diets today are

very different from those of our ancestors though our bodies remain

similar.

Thousands of years ago, our ancestors ate foods high in magnesium and

low in calcium. Because calcium supplies were scarce and the need for

this vital mineral was great, it was effectively stored by the body.

Magnesium, on the other hand, was abundant and readily available, in

the form of nuts, seeds, grains, and vegetables, and did not need to

be stored internally.

Our bodies still retain calcium and not magnesium although we tend to

eat much more dairy than our ancestors. In addition, our sugar and

alcohol consumption is higher than theirs, and both sugar and alcohol

increase magnesium excretion through the urine. Our grains,

originally high in magnesium, have been refined, which means that the

nutrient is lost in the refining process. The quality of our soil has

deteriorated as well, due to the use of fertilizers that contain

large amounts of potassium a magnesium antagonist. This results in

foods lower in magnesium than ever before.

ARTHRITIS AND OSTEOPOROSIS

Two major health problems, arthritis and osteoporosis, may be caused

in part by a magnesium deficiency. When you look at how calcium is

absorbed these problems become easier to understand, and often can be

controlled through diet.

Magnesium is needed for calcium absorption. Without enough magnesium,

calcium can collect in the soft tissues and cause one type of

arthritis. Not only does calcium collect in the soft tissues of

arthritics, it is poorly, if at all, absorbed into their blood and

bones. But taking more calcium is not the answer; it only amplifies

the problem. In fact, excessive calcium intake and insufficient

magnesium can contribute to both of these diseases. Magnesium taken

in proper dosages can solve the problem of calcium deficiency.

When calcium is elevated in the blood it stimulates the secretion of

a hormone called calcitonin and suppresses the secretion of the

parathyroid hormone (PTH). These hormones regulate the levels of

calcium in our bones and soft tissues and are, therefore, directly

related to both osteoporosis and arthritis. PTH draws calcium out of

the bones and deposits it in the soft tissues, while calcitonin

increases calcium in our bones and keeps it from being absorbed in

our soft tissues. Sufficient amounts of magnesium determine this

delicate and important balance.

Because magnesium suppresses PTH and stimulates calcitonin it helps

put calcium into our bones, preventing osteoporosis, and helps remove

it from our soft tissues eliminating some forms of arthritis. A

magnesium deficiency will prevent this chemical action from taking

place in our bodies, and no amount of calcium can correct it. While

magnesium helps our body absorb and retain calcium, too much calcium

prevents magnesium from being absorbed. So taking large amounts of

calcium without adequate magnesium may either create malabsorption or

a magnesium deficiency. Whichever occurs, only magnesium can break

the cycle.

In experiments reported in " International Clinical Nutrition Review, "

a number of volunteers on a low-magnesium diet were given both

calcium and vitamin D supplements. AU the subjects were magnesium-

depleted and although they had been given adequate supplements, all

but one became deficient in calcium. When they were given calcium

intravenously, the level of calcium in their blood rose, but only for

the duration of the intravenous feeding. As soon as the intravenous

calcium was stopped, the levels calcium in the blood dropped.

However, when magnesium was given, their magnesium levels rose and

stabilized rapidly, and calcium levels also rose within a few days -

although no additional calcium had been taken.

Dr. Guy Abraham, M.D., a research gynecologist and endocrinologist in

premenstrual syndrome and osteoporosis has found strong evidence to

suggest that women with osteoporosis have a deficiency of a chemical

that is made when they take twice as much magnesium as calcium. In

fact, he has found that when calcium intake is decreased, it is

utilized better than when it is high. Dr. Abraham is one of many

doctors and biochemists who advocate taking more magnesium to correct

calcium-deficiency diseases.

A magnesium-rich diet can be helpful both for arthritis and to help

prevent osteoporosis. This consists of nuts, whole grains such as

brown rice, millet, buckwheat (kasha), whole wheat, triticate, and

rye, and legumes including lentils, split peas, and a varieties of

beans. A whole grain cereal or bread in the morning, a cup of bean

soup at lunch, a snack of a few nuts, and serving of brown rice,

millet, or buckwheat with dinner should help increase magnesium when

a deficiency is suspected.

At the same time, refined sugar and alcohol should be reduced, and

eliminated when possible to prevent magnesium from being excreted in

large quantities in the urine. You may also want to re-evaluate the

amount of dairy in your diet. If it has been disproportionately high,

reduce or temporarily eliminate it until some of your symptoms are

alleviated, or until you feel more of a balance has been achieved

through the inclusion of whole grains and legumes. Oriental and

Indian diets contain little or no dairy, yet arthritis and

osteoporosis are not major health problems in these cultures. Their

foods consist primarily of green vegetables, grains, tofu, and

seafood, and are twice as high in magnesium as our average diets.

Calcium causes muscles to contract, while magnesium helps them relax.

When calcium is taken for menstrual cramps it knocks magnesium out of

the cells and makes it more available for immediate use. However, it

depletes the body of magnesium and ensures that the problem will

recur the following month unless sufficient magnesium is added to the

diet. Taking calcium gives temporary relief of menstrual cramps.

A diet high in dairy and low in whole grains can lead to excess

calcium in the tissues and a magnesium deficiency. The source of

menstrual cramps may be coming from eating too much cheese, yogurt,

ice cream or milk, combined with insufficient whole grains and beans.

Or it could come from taking too much calcium without enough

magnesium. Modifying your diet and increasing your magnesium

supplementation may allow your menstrual cramps to disappear.

Premenstrual chocolate craving is a phenomenon that has puzzled a

great many women who are not controlled by this overwhelming urge at

other times of the month. Yet chocolate, which is highest in

magnesium of all foods, is often a sign of magnesium deficiency. If

your diet is high in calcium you may have poor calcium absorption as

well. The answer is not to eat more chocolate, but to increase your

magnesium by eating more whole grains, nuts, seafood, and green

vegetables, and by increasing your magnesium supplements. Your

chocolate cravings will vanish when you have enough magnesium in your

diet.

According to Dr. Mildred Seelig, executive president of the American

College of Nutrition, we need an average of 200 mg. more than we get

from the average diet.

Foods highest in magnesium are chocolate, nuts (especially almonds

and cashews), whole grains, seafood, and legumes (including tofu).

Eat more of these, while reducing sugar and alcohol, which increase

magnesium excretion. Don't overlook one vitamin or mineral for

another since all work together to supply you with the nutrients you

need. And consult your nutritionally- oriented physician about all

nutrients before trying them.

A balanced diet of fresh, whole foods is your best maintenance diet.

But if you have been taking large amounts of calcium and ignoring

magnesium you may want to reverse the proportions until you achieve a

better balance. Sufficient magnesium may be your missing link.

________________________________________

This page was first uploaded to The Magnesium Web Site on November

22, 2002

Coffee

Coffee is derived from plants and is an herb.

Moderate coffee consumption (three to five cups a day) is probably

safe for most people. But individuals at high risk of cardiovascular

diseases should exercise caution and cut back on those double-tall

lattes. Orange juice, rich in folate, is certainly a healthier wake-

up drink. It may not have that caffeine zing, but it's full of

minerals and vitamins and will give you a lot more nutritional bang

for your buck.

If you drink coffee, you may be a special candidate for magnesium

deficiency.

Since magnesium and calcium all work together to make your heart

muscle contract in a regular rhythm, one of the first signs of a

magnesium deficiency is an irregular heartbeat. As a result of

calcium/magnesium imbalance, calcium deposits may form on the heart

muscle. If this happens, the heart cannot contract properly.

Magnesium is also important in breaking down fats you eat into fatty

acids that can be useful in building body parts like nerve sheaths

and cellular membranes. If those fats are not broken down properly,

they begin to collect in deposits, which lodge on damaged arterial

points. Thus a magnesium deficiency can increase you risks of

contracting the two major degenerative heart diseases:

atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis. Another point to remember in

this regard is that magnesium is necessary for the synthesis of

lecithin, which also helps break down those fats.

Coffee floods nutrients out of your body via the urine. This includes

Vitamins A, D, E, K and essential fatty acids. This diuretic effect

which is created when drinking coffee can also interfere with your

absorption of iron simply because so many nutrients pass so quickly

through the kidneys.

Although coffee contains water, because it causes the body to excrete

more water than it actually takes in. The result is a fluid deficit,

which, over time, can lead to a variety of health problems, including

dry skin, constipation and bladder infections.

Coffee can lead to a chronic deficiency of B vitamins.

Coffee can cause a buildup of toxins within the body, which increases

your need for vitamin C and other antioxidants.

Two cups of coffee may contain 30 mg of caffeine. This is enough to

raise your blood pressure and pulse rate significantly.

Research that has been done:

Researchers from the Netherlands studied the effect of coffee

consumption on blood levels of homocysteine, a naturally occurring

substance that forms when the body breaks down protein. Elevated

levels of homocysteine have long been associated with an increased

risk of heart disease. Exactly how this amino acid harms the heart is

unclear, but our best guess is that it either makes the blood clot

more frequently or damages the lining of blood vessels in the heart.

(Genetic defects and vitamin deficiencies have also been shown to

cause an elevation in homocysteine.) There is a product we found that

does help to handle the blood homocysteine levels.

The Dutch researchers focused on strong, unfiltered coffee, and their

results are not great news for folks who drink large quantities of

caffeine. After just a two-week period of drinking six cups of

unfiltered coffee a day, homocysteine concentrations increased 10% in

subjects who started out with normal levels. At the same time,

cholesterol levels shot up 10% and triacylglycerols (other fatty

substances) 36%--both precursors to artery-clogging atherosclerotic

plaque. The bottom line, according to the authors: drinking 48 oz. of

unfiltered coffee a day may carry a 10% increase in risk for heart

attack or stroke. An incidental but equally important finding was

that levels of vitamin B-6 decreased 21%.

Why would unfiltered coffee be more dangerous than filtered? A

leading suspect is a group of substances called diterpenes, found

widely in nature--and in coffee beans. Diterpenes are known to raise

homocysteine levels, and the paper filters used in coffee machines

are usually fine enough to catch them. Some coffee roasters prepare

their beans with processes that remove some of the offending

diterpenes. Check with your favorite brewer for details.

The good news for coffee lovers: increased levels of homocysteine

aren't necessarily permanent. Removing the offending agent--in this

case, unfiltered coffee--will help bring the levels back to normal,

as will increasing your intake of the B vitamins B-6 and folic acid.

Vitamin supplements, green leafy vegetables and citrus fruits are

good sources of folate.