The CORE 4 protocol includes four of the most important biomedical treatments for children diagnosed with autism.
Each one of the CORE 4 biomedical treatment recommendations can help concerns seen in autism including improving communication, social interaction and cognitive performance while also reducing behaviours. When the CORE 4 treatments are used together, they work synergistically to dramatically transform a child’s quality of life and developmental potential.
Methylcobalmin and/or Hydroxocobalamin Subcutaneous Injection Therapy:
Methylcobalamin (MB12) and hydroyxcobalamin (HB12) are both forms of vitamin B12 and are part of the CORE 4 protocol. B12 works with folate to make all the cells in the body, repair damage, detoxify harmful substances, make brain chemicals and is therefore critical to energy production in the body. Methyl B12 plays a key role in the methylation process and not surprisingly, 90% of children diagnosed with autism have impaired methylation.
B12 injection therapy improves methylation as well as supporting children’s communication, social interaction and cognitive performance. Methylation makes the body’s master antioxidant, glutathione. Above all, glutathione is needed to help reduce glutamate in the brain and detoxify harmful chemicals and heavy metals. Children with autism are typically glutathione deficient and as a result have higher levels of glutamate and toxins. Moreover, studies show that up to 80% of the body’s glutathione is depleted in children diagnosed with autism.
Maximum results from B12 therapy occur over years, not months or weeks. However, initial results will be obvious within the first 3-5 week period; but B12’s benefit is in continued use. Subcutaneous injections are done with a very small and thin insulin syringe. The recommendation for most children with autism is three subcutaneous injections per week, injected into the buttocks.
Spectrum Complete or Spectrum Solutions:
Spectrum Complete and Spectrum Solutions are high dose vitamins with a complete B complex. Both of these products ensure B12 injections are safe to use long term by providing the body with all of the B vitamins in B vitamin family. In addition to ensuring B12 safety, B vitamins help to improve behaviour and development. B12 injections are very safe, however, children receiving B12 injection therapy need to take the other B vitamins to prevent deficiencies.
The Spectrum multi-vitamins can also be used as a stand-alone supplement to improve language, social and cognitive skills for children with autism. The high dose vitamins, especially B6, help reduce behaviours including self-stimulatory repetitive actions, scripting, echolalia, irritability, self-injury, head banging and aggression.
The Spectrum multi-vitamins are important to successful biomedical treatment in autism and can help improve developmental while reducing behaviours.
Cod Liver Oil Complete:
Cod liver oil (CLO) is an essential part of biomedical treatment of autism. Firstly, CLO contains omega 3 fatty acids (fish oil). Secondly, CLO contains vitamin A (VA) and vitamin D.
When taken in therapeutic doses, vitamin A repairs problems with visual processing including difficulty with eye contact, visual self-stimulation behaviours, side glancing, focusing, social interaction and learning. VA is a fat soluble vitamin and it is better absorbed when given with the omega 3 fatty acids in cod liver oil.
VA also plays an essential role in regulating the gut microbiome. Moreover, vitamin A allows natural killer cells to kill opportunistic or pathogenic microbes. Natural killer cells are white blood cells in your child’s body that need vitamin A to function properly.
Grain Free-Dairy Free Diet:
Research shows that the majority of children diagnosed with autism experiencing digestive problems like constipation, diarrhea, bloating and reflux. Dietary intervention helps improve digestion and decreases pain and discomfort. Changing a child’s diet can be hard but most autistic children feel better and as a result improve developmentally.
The grain free, dairy free diet is also sometimes called the “paleo diet” or the “modified ketogenic diet”. Above all removing grains and dairy is the most important aspect of any autism diet.
Grains include wheat, gluten, rice, millet, spelt, kamut, teff, amaranth and corn. Grains are complex carbohydrates that cause inflammation and dysbiosis for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Research shows that people with autism have life-long brain inflammation. Removing grains reduces inflammation and improves microbiome health. The microbiome is the microbial community that lives in our bodies. Trillions of microbes live in our gastrointestinal tract and research has identified an altered microbiome in autism.
Grains contain synthetic folic acid. Folic acid is to converted to active folate by the methylation cycle. 90% of children diagnosed with autism have methylation impairments reducing their ability to metabolize synthetic folic acid. Removing grains improves methylation resulting in dramatic improvements development.
Dairy contains a protein called A1 beta casein. A1 beta casein causes inflammation. Casein also decreases the body’s ability to make glutathione. Removing dairy reduces inflammation and improves glutathione production which will help reduce autistic behaviours and detoxify toxins.
The aim of this diet is to flood the body and brain with nutrient dense foods in easily absorbed forms, while limiting or avoiding foods that are contributing to illness or disease or that interfere with the healing process. Eating according to this diet combats inflammation, microbial overgrowth and provides the building blocks for healthy development and detoxification.
“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”
~ Hippocrates
Dr. Sonya Doherty, ND, has been practicing for 18 years. She is extremely passionate about biomedical treatment and has treated thousands of children diagnosed with neurodevelopmental disorders. As the mother of 3 children, she is dedicated to bringing the most current research and advanced treatments to her multi-disciplinary wellness clinic located in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. Dr. Sonya is an international speaker and the parent of two boys with neurodevelopment concerns.
Read more about Dr. Sonya’s approach to biomedical treatment in her recently published manual.
Autism Recovery: A Manual For Parents
https://treatautism.ca/shop/biomedical-handbook-autism-recovery/
https://www.amazon.ca/Autism-Recovery-Dr-Sonya-Doherty-ebook/dp/B08CMTCZRM
Resources for the grain free, dairy free diet:
The Autism Revolution – Whole-body Strategies for making life all it can be
Martha Herbert, MD, PhD
http://www.autismrevolution.org/
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