Do salt cravings in children with ASDs reveal low blood sodium depleting brain taurine and glutamine?

[Guest guest]

Anecdotal or clinical observations relevant to Good's hypothesis?

Do salt cravings in children with autistic disorders reveal low blood

sodium depleting brain taurine and glutamine?

<http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21925797>

Good P.

Med Hypotheses. 2011 Dec;77(6):1015-21.

Because boys are four times more likely than girls to develop autism,

the role of male hormones (androgens) has received considerable

scrutiny. Some researchers implicate arginine vasopressin, an

androgen-dependent hormone from the pituitary gland that elicits male

behavior. Elevated vasopressin is also the most common cause of low

blood sodium (hyponatremia)--most serious in the brains of children.

Hyponatremia causes astrocytes to swell, then release the amino acids

taurine and glutamine and their water to compensate. Taurin--the brain

osmolyte/inhibitory neurotransmitter that suppresses vasopressin--was

the amino acid most wasted or depleted in urine of autistic children.

Glutamine is a critical metabolic fuel in brain neurons, astrocytes,

endothelial cells, and the intestines, especially during hypoglycemia.

Because glutamine is not thought to cross the blood-brain barrier

significantly, the implications of low blood glutamine in these children

are not recognized. Yet children with high brain glutamine from urea

cycle disorders are rarely diagnosed with autistic disorders. Other

common events in autistic children that release vasopressin are

gastrointestinal inflammation, hypoglycemia, and stress. Signs of

hyponatremia in these children are salt cravings reported online and

anecdotally, deep yellow urine revealing concentration, and relief of

autistic behavior by fluid/salt diets. Several interventions offer

promise: (a) taurine to suppress vasopressin and replenish astrocytes;

( glutamine as fuel for intestines and brain; © arginine to spare

glutamine, detoxify ammonia, and increase brain blood flow; and (d) oral

rehydration salts to compensate dilutional hyponatremia. This hypothesis

appears eminently testable: Does your child crave salt? Is his urine

deep yellow?

[Guest guest]

salt craving has to do also with adrenal fatigue or low cortisol.with

asperger it is known that they have low cortisol

On Wed, Jun 20, 2012 at 5:07 PM, Binstock wrote:

> **

>

>

>

> Anecdotal or clinical observations relevant to Good's hypothesis?

>

> Do salt cravings in children with autistic disorders reveal low blood

> sodium depleting brain taurine and glutamine?

> <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21925797>

> Good P.

> Med Hypotheses. 2011 Dec;77(6):1015-21.

>

> Because boys are four times more likely than girls to develop autism,

> the role of male hormones (androgens) has received considerable

> scrutiny. Some researchers implicate arginine vasopressin, an

> androgen-dependent hormone from the pituitary gland that elicits male

> behavior. Elevated vasopressin is also the most common cause of low

> blood sodium (hyponatremia)--most serious in the brains of children.

> Hyponatremia causes astrocytes to swell, then release the amino acids

> taurine and glutamine and their water to compensate. Taurin--the brain

> osmolyte/inhibitory neurotransmitter that suppresses vasopressin--was

> the amino acid most wasted or depleted in urine of autistic children.

> Glutamine is a critical metabolic fuel in brain neurons, astrocytes,

> endothelial cells, and the intestines, especially during hypoglycemia.

> Because glutamine is not thought to cross the blood-brain barrier

> significantly, the implications of low blood glutamine in these children

> are not recognized. Yet children with high brain glutamine from urea

> cycle disorders are rarely diagnosed with autistic disorders. Other

> common events in autistic children that release vasopressin are

> gastrointestinal inflammation, hypoglycemia, and stress. Signs of

> hyponatremia in these children are salt cravings reported online and

> anecdotally, deep yellow urine revealing concentration, and relief of

> autistic behavior by fluid/salt diets. Several interventions offer

> promise: (a) taurine to suppress vasopressin and replenish astrocytes;

> ( glutamine as fuel for intestines and brain; © arginine to spare

> glutamine, detoxify ammonia, and increase brain blood flow; and (d) oral

> rehydration salts to compensate dilutional hyponatremia. This hypothesis

> appears eminently testable: Does your child crave salt? Is his urine

> deep yellow?

>

>