Gut Bacteria Don't Cause Autism: Kids Microbiome Differences Are Due To Picky Eating

[Julieanne]

Chloe Yap
November 12 2021

There has been much speculation that the community of bacteria living in the gut – known as the microbiome – may be different among people on the autism spectrum than the wider population. This has led some researchers and clinicians to speculate that gut bacteria could cause autism.
But our new research, published today in the journal Cell, turns this theory on its head.
Rather than differences in gut bacteria influencing brain development, our research suggests changes in gut bacteria are driven by restricted diets, or “picky eating”.

Read more: https://theconversation.com/amp/gut-...-eating-170366

[Islander]

It seems obvious to me that studies like this are going to be flawed from the outset if the control group isn't susceptible to the health condition that's being tested for. Further, the kinds of foods that are typical family fare in one culture are going to differ significantly from that in other cultures, yet autism occurs in all cultures regardless of overall diet. I'd say somebody made a poor choice in how to use the grant money they were given to study autism.

[StephenX]

In 2002 the prevalance of autism was 4 to 7 in a thousand. Now it's 1 in 40. Something bad is going on.

[Islander]

Something bad is definitely going on, but no one seems to put a finger on exactly what it is. Is it something in the food? In the air? In the water? In the medicines? Everything seems possible because everything in our experience has been contaminated. Is there a person anywhere who is able to eat 100% organic food… Drink pure water unaffected by industrial runoff or herbicidal sprays?… Breathe absolutely pure air carrying no contamination from any smokestack, volcanic eruption or forest fire somewhere? Maybe one of our readers can tick one of those boxes, but although I live in a relatively isolated rural area, I assure you that I can't tick all of them.
I'm running behind the science, I just haven't been able to keep up with current research or breaking news. But AFAIK no research has confirmed what I have believed for years: that our infants' brains are affected by the multiplicity of vaccines they receive before even entering first grade. Did you know that doctors are financially rewarded if they can administer every single jab on the list before that first grade deadline? Yes, your family doctor is incentivized to shoot up your kids.
A control group to pair with my theory is the Amish (and possibly other sects, like the Mennonites and so forth), who do not vaccinate. Among these demographics you do not find allergies, dyslexia, ADD, ADHD, or any of the intellectual disabilities that require us to have special education classes through a child's entire school years. In 1946, when I began school, there were no childhood vaccines other than smallpox. I was in a class of 48 children and although there was one slow learner, there were none of the educational disabilities that require special attention today. Yes, I am aware that there are rare occurrences of autism in this demographic, but I emphasize the word rare and suggests that it can be attributed to one of the earlier possibilities I mentioned above.
In this world, where perfect health is a rarity, the truth is that we may never know.