The BrainworX Supplementation Program

Starting your child’s nutritional supplementation program can be a daunting task. The main goal of supplementing is to build up nutritional deficiencies which have been identified in your child. These deficiencies may have been brought on by poor diet, digestive abnormalities, bacterial and/or yeast imbalances, genetic mutations, or heavy metal toxicities.

The first action step that must be taken before starting your supplementation program is to clean up the diet. Cleaning up the diet refers to avoiding foods with synthetic colors and flavors, eliminating excess sugar, as well as processed carbohydrates. Many children have benefited from exclusionary diets such as a Gluten Free - Casein Free diet or the Specific Carbohydrate diet. Testing for casein and gluten sensitivities can help determine if making these changes will be beneficial for your child.

Multi-Vitamin/Mineral

Providing a solid nutritional foundation is important when starting a supplementation program. It is well known that vitamins and minerals work best synergistically, as opposed to individually. Many times it is necessary to add additional, individual booster vitamins and minerals as needed by each patient. It is important to know which multi-vitamin/mineral supplement is best for your child. Some children may not be able to tolerate oral iron or copper supplementation; Dr. Cavazos can help you determine which multi vitamin/min complex is right for your child. Multi-vitamin/minerals are best tolerated with food.

Probiotics

Probiotics are beneficial bacterial. In the seemingly constant battle for gut real estate, beneficial bacteria and yeast are vitally important. Comprehensive stool analysis (CSA) identify which specific species of probiotics are needed most. Dr. Cavazos uses CSAs to treat and monitor bacterial and yeast dysbiosis. Probiotics should not be taken at the same time as antibiotics or anti-fungals; allow a minimum of 60 minutes. It is ok to take probiotics along with enzymes with the exception of Candex. When taking Candex, beneficial yeast such as Sacchromyces boulardii should be taken at least 60 minutes before or after the enzyme.

Digestive Enzymes

Digestive enzymes help break down different types of food. For example, Protease helps break down protein, Lipase breaks down fat, and Amylase helps break down starch. There are also special enzymes like DPP4. DPP4 is the enzyme that breaks down gluten and casein peptides. Many ASD children have a deficiency in the DPP4 enzyme. The peptides released by this enzyme deficiency create opioid-like substances that can cause behavioral and cognitive problems. Enzymes should be taken at the start of a meal. Digestive enzyme dosage is dependent on how much food is consumed, as opposed to child age or weight. Please be aware some children may exhibit an increase in symptoms the first 5-10 days of enzyme supplementation.

Magnesium

Magnesium (Mg) is a vital supplement with a multitude of beneficial attributes. Mg is a natural muscle relaxer and can lessen constipation and make bowel movements more regular. Mg can also reduce tics, muscle jerks and/or spasms. Mg is needed for making glutathione and converting methionine into one of our greatest methyl donors, SAMe. Mg supplementation is exponentially more effective when taken with B6. Magnesium should be taken with food preferably with breakfast. (Data below provided by ARI)

Zinc

Zinc is an essential mineral used by many enzymes as an activator and/or structural component. The term “Essential” means we must obtain zinc from our diet. Recent blood testing shows 85% of ASD children have a high copper-to-zinc ratio. Zinc is vital for methylating, digestion, and immune response. Zinc is available in citrate, chelate, aspartate, alpha-ketoglutarate, gluconate, sulfate or picolinate. If your child has an adverse reaction to zinc supplementation, try switching the form of zinc given. Zinc should be given twice a day between meals. Do not give zinc with calcium, iron, floate or phosphorylated nutrients such as phosphatidylserine. (Data below provided by ARI)

Cod Liver Oil

Cod liver oil is a phenomenal supplement. A common abnormality in neurodevelopmental disorders is a depressed level of omega-3 fatty acids, especially DHA.¹ Cod liver oil provides vitamin A, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids such as DHA (neurological support) and EPA (inflammation support). Vitamin A has been proven to enhance immune system function. Signs of vitamin A toxicity include headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision, and dry, scaly skin rash. Vitamin D has also been linked to enhancing immune function. The omega-3 fatty acids provided by cod liver oil offer numerous health benefits. The walls of each and every one of our cells are made up of fatty acids. Unsaturated fatty acids give cell walls flexibility and are required for cells to obtain a proper supply of nutrients through the cell wall. Oxidative stress can damage cell walls and make nutrient and signal transfer less efficient. Please be careful while purchasing cod liver oil. The oil must be fresh and have a nutty aroma. If it smells rancid, just toss out the entire bottle. If the child complains of tasting fish throughout the day, you may want to look into an enteric-coated capsule, which will not open in the stomach. Instead the capsule will hold its integrity until it reaches the small intestine. This will eliminate the after-taste issue. Omega-3 fatty acids can be beneficial at 10 to 30 mg per lb of body weight.

¹Stoll Al “Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Autism” presented at DAN! 2002, Conference Syllabus 26-43

Melatonin

Melatonin is made by the methylation of serotonin by SAMe. Melatonin helps regulate sleep, intestinal motility, and antioxidant chemistry. There are two ways to look at melatonin deficiencies, and this goes for most deficiencies: We can easily provide the body melatonin through supplementation, which is the last product made from the amino acid Tryptophan; or we can find the cause of the deficiency and solve the underlying problem. Common underlying problems can be anything from a vitamin B6 deficiency to a more complex, methylation problem. (Children with methylation disorders may not create enough SAMe to make melatonin.) At BrainworX, we focus on the cause, not the symptom.

Natural Anti-Bacterial/Yeast Agents

When cleaning up the gut, we must address pathogenic bacterial and yeast overgrowth. Natural agents, such as Berberine, Black Walnut, Caprylic acid, Cats Claw, Goldenseal, Oregano, and Uva Ursi have all proven to be effective anti-bacterial agents. Appropriate lab testing will identify bacteria sensitivities and allow us to be efficient in our supplementation protocol. For Pediatric dosages, adjust the recommended adult dose to account for the child's weight. Most herbal dosages for adults are calculated on the basis of a 150 lb (70 kg) adult. Therefore, if the child weighs 50 lb (20 - 25 kg), the appropriate dose of herbs for this child would be 1/3 of the adult dosage.

Heavy Metal Detoxification

Heavy metal detoxification should be considered once nutritional deficiencies have been resolved, digestive problems corrected, and genetic mutations addressed. It’s important to identify which metals are problematic for your child. A porphyrin test will identify the amount of metals present. Some children will begin to release heavy metals once methylation cycle mutations are bypassed with supplementation. Other children may require more aggressive heavy metal detoxification. Heavy metal detoxification must be done under doctor supervision. Detoxifying agents include but not limited to, DMSA, EDTA, and Lipoic acid.