The following is from Children’s Health Defense.
A peer-reviewed study published in the Journal of Xenobiotics links autism to environmental exposures, finding that parents with high chemical intolerance are nearly six times more likely to have a child diagnosed with autism. The study emphasizes that both genetic predispositions and environmental toxicants contribute to autism risk.
The study highlights the role of mast cells, a type of immune cell, in responding to toxic exposures. Researchers found that these exposures can trigger mast cells and potentially alter gene expression, which may increase the risk of autism and ADHD in children. Mast cells are activated by toxicants like pesticides, fossil fuels, and mold, leading to immune dysregulation that can affect neurodevelopment.
According to biologist Christina Parks, Ph.D., repeated exposure to toxic chemicals can lead to immune system dysregulation, triggering neurological disorders.
“Repeated chemical exposure can throw the immune system into a frenzy, such that it starts attacking things it previously tolerated.”
Christina Parks, Ph.D.
The study also points to fossil fuels, pesticides, and mold as significant contributors to chemical intolerance, a condition characterized by heightened sensitivity to environmental toxicants. This phenomenon, known as Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance (TILT), underscores the growing impact of modern chemical exposures.
Challenging the mainstream narrative that autism is primarily genetic, the study emphasizes the growing role of environmental toxicants. It builds on a 2015 study that linked chemical intolerance to increased autism risk.
“We know there is no such thing as a genetic epidemic. This study reconfirms that genetically vulnerable people become autistic as a result of exposure to things in the environment.”
John Gilmore, Executive Director, Autism Action Network
The research also found a significantly higher rate of autism among participants than reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, with 12.3% of families in the study having at least one autistic child. This figure challenges mainstream narratives and emphasizes the urgent need for more research into environmental triggers.
Experts emphasize the critical need to reduce environmental toxicant exposure. James Lyons-Weiler, Ph.D., a research scientist and author, noted that minimizing toxic exposures could significantly mitigate autism risk, especially for genetically susceptible populations.
“The findings support the idea that reducing total toxic exposures could mitigate autism risk, particularly in genetically susceptible populations.”
James Lyons-Weiler, Ph.D.
The study’s authors recommend assessing prospective parents for chemical intolerance and increasing awareness among healthcare providers about the potential risks of toxic exposure.
For more information, read the full article here.
Hmmm. Wonder if exposure to nuclear radiation does the same. I was exposed to (likely high levels of ) nuclear weapons testing radiation in utero (NM/NV last 12 mo before nuclear test ban treaty). Both parents died in their early 40s and I’ve had 8 separate primary cancers over many years.
Suspect if chemical exposure can do that, radiation certainly could, too…
Prob worth exploring. Will contact the author
There are also lots of toxicants in vaccines. Just sayin’…
All autism research is a house built on sand until a neurobiological cause is found. Until a marker can be discovered which diagnoses autism, it’s all pointless. Human neurodevelopment is incredibly complex and subtle. The brain of a child is highly ‘plastic’ and can be modified by factors in its environment. For example, take a child with a ‘lazy eye’. Patching the good eye for a few months will cause the brain to pay attention to the previously ‘forgotten’ lazy eye, and the problem will disappear. The lazy-eyed child is not cross-eyed, rather the inward turned eye is simply forgotten by the brain. I had a daughter with this problem (temporarily) and I was fascinated by it because my research was in brain science.