Mitochondrial DysfunctionI first read about mitochondrial dysfunction in Temple Grandin's The Autistic Brain. Thimerosol vaccinations were shown to lead to ASD like symptoms in people with mitochondrial disease. But why would this surface around 18 months, when Doctors prefer to vaccinate starting the day your child is born? I speculate that insulin resistance risk factors could contribute. Thimerosol is no longer used in vaccinations.
Link: Autism and Mitochondria |
Gluten and SuperoxideI don't eat gluten free but I've become more gluten aware. Gliadin, a component of Gluten, interacts with cell junctions (via zonulin) and also protects dietary superoxide dismutase. It is possible these effects are supposed to work together, but when loosened, the cell junctions of the intestines allow other large molecules in.
However, I believe that reducing sugars, saturated fats and refined flour, and increasing vegetable intake takes priority over eradicating all gluten from the diet. Link: Wheat Belly makes one good point |
Activity and Sleep
I have run into the idea that aerobic exercise increases oxidative stress. It is not the presence or amount of oxygen that leads to superoxide, but a paucity of available hydrogen ions. Activity breaks ATP into ADP and Pi (inorganic phosphate). This phosphate picks up hydrogen and is how it gets delivered to ATP synthase in the mitochondria. Any physical activity uses ATP, creating better conditions for the mitochondria to function in.
Sleep deprivation is known to increase insulin resistance, so adequate rest is also important. |
Mitochondrial Disease vs. Mitochondrial dysfunction "Mitochondrial Disease" is a set of known, testable genetic disorders that bring about muscular and neurologic degeneration. While MtD is 100 to 1000x more common in people with ASD, it is still a small number (5 to 20% versus 0.01 to 0.5% of the general population). Mt dysfunction could be any number of things for which tests may not yet exist, but signs of Mt dysfunction are found at high rates in the ASD population in studies of oxidative stress or MtDNA copies. A 2012 review found an elevated prevalence for females with autism (39% as opposed to 25%). |
Mitochondrial Uncouplers These are proteins that intervene in the superoxide situation, allowing electron transport to happen without producing hydrogen. The energy goes to producing heat rather than making ATP. Some scientists think this could be a weight control strategy, and may be why obesity and diabetes impacts minorities more than white people. They may also explain eating preferences that tie back to conditions we create for our mitochondria. |