Gray teeth! Is this an iron problem??

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

My son's teeth are starting to turn gray. This happened last year when

I tried a strong probiotic for him. Is this caused by iron deficiency?

He chews ice all the time, which I have heard is an indicator as

well. We tried beef liver the last couple of days but he cannot

tolerate it. Are chicken livers just as good for iron?

Mandy

[Guest guest]

Mandy,

You are right,grey teeth are the symptoms of iron deficiency.

Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies

in

the USA and is especially common for children with autism. Iron

deficiency may be caused by lead poisoning in children. Lack of

appetite,grey teeth,change in skin color and lack of energy are

symptoms

of iron deficiency.

You need medical help for this and your child should be tested.

Receiving iron supplements might be too hard for the digestive tract

so

try feeding iron rich foods. There are several SCD legal foods that

are

rich in iron:meat, poultry, fish, nuts,green leafy vegetables, and

seeds(for advanced SCDers only). The food that contains the most

iron is

calf's liver and that is SCD legal. Try to get organic liver.

Other supplements can also help. Ascorbic acid can improve iron

absorption. Research has shown that high zinc and iron densities are

positively correlated. Zinc may enhance the body's capacity to

absorb iron.

There has been a tiny number of SCD children who have shown the

symptoms

of iron deficiency. What relation does this have to SCD? Below my

email

there is an article that shows a very high prevalence of iron

deficiency

in children with autism so we should be aware that this is problem

that

is not limited to SCD and that it might be possible that there is

less

iron deficiency among SCD children than in the general ASD

community.

Would iron deficiency be more prevalent among children who do the

GFCF

diet or the SCD? That all depends on the kind of food that an

individual

child is consuming. Potatoes and sweet potatoes have iron but so do

many

SCD legal foods such as meat, poultry, fish, nuts,green leafy

vegetables.

Most SCD children eat a diet that is high in irons but it is

possible to

eat a low iron diet with SCD and have a high iron diet with GFCF.

It is possible for a child with iron deficiency to improve when

there

is a change of diet from GFCF to SCD. It is also possible to get an

improvement if there is a change in the opposite

direction,especially

if there is a change in the supplements that the child takes. Many

children change their supplement protocols when they change diets.

The

most common multi vitamin for SCD contains no iron. A change to a

multi

vitamin with iron can make a big difference. The addition of zinc

and

ascorbic acid are also VERY helpful for iron deficiency. The

supplement

change might explain why it is possible for there to be a dramatic

improvement when there is a transition from SCD to GFCF. Of

course,it

is also possible to get zinc,ascorbic acid and iron supplements with

the SCD diet.

It is possible for both GFCF and SCD kids with iron deficiency to

overcome their problem by getting the right supplements and iron

rich

foods. We should increase awareness of iron deficiency on ALL autism

lists so that these children would get the help that they need.

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This email contains direct quotes and information from the following

articles: This website explains the relationship between iron

deficiency

and lead poisoning:

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5536.html

(Middle of website)

Iron

Anemia, a decrease in the quantity or quality of red blood cells,

occurs

most frequently due to a deficiency of iron. Iron deficiency results

in

a decrease in the normal quantity of hemoglobin, the protein which

carries oxygen in the blood. Lead poisoning can mimic iron

deficiency.

In fact, lead intoxication can also cause anemia. The occurence of

iron

deficiency and lead poisoning simulataneously can be synergistic and

devastating. Anemia is more severe in these children and up to 50

percent more lead may be absorbed in children with an iron

deficiency

than in those with normal hemoglobin levels. Children who are most

likely to be exposed to lead are likely to have other risk factors,

such

as a poor diet, which can contribute to iron deficiency.

This study showed a very high prevalence of iron deficiency in

children

with autism:

http://aut.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/6/1/103

Iron deficiency in autism and Asperger syndrome A Latif

Royal Glamorgan Hospital, UK

P. Heinz

Royal Glamorgan Hospital, UK

R. Cook

Royal Glamorgan Hospital, UK

This research considers the prevalence of iron deficiency in

children

with autism and Asperger syndrome and examines whether this will

influence guidelines and treatment. Retrospective analysis of the

full

blood count and, as far as available, serum ferritin measurements of

96

children (52 with autism and 44 with Asperger syndrome) was

undertaken.

Six of the autistic group were shown to have iron deficiency anaemia

and, of the 23 autistic children who had serum ferritin measured, 12

were iron deficient. Only two of the Asperger group had iron

deficiency

anaemia and, of the 22 children who had their serum ferritin

measured,

only three were iron deficient. Iron deficiency, with or without

anaemia, can impair cognition and affect and is associated with

developmental slowing in infants and mood changes and poor

concentration

in children. This study showed a very high prevalence of iron

deficiency

in children with autism, which could potentially compromise further

their communication and behavioural impairments.

You might want to read this article about low iron and grey teeth.

http://www.genestocellsonline.org/cgi/content/abstract/9/7/641

Rodents

have brownish-yellow incisors whose colour represents their iron

content. Iron is deposited into the mature enamel by ameloblasts

that

outline enamel surface of the teeth. Nrf2 is a basic region- leucine

zipper type transcription factor that regulates expression of a

range

of cytoprotective genes in response to oxidative and xenobiotic

stresses. We found that genetically engineered Nrf2- deficient mice

show decolourization of the incisors. While incisors of wild-type

mice

were brownish yellow, incisors of Nrf2-deficient mice were greyish

white in colour. Micro X-ray imaging analysis revealed that the iron

content in Nrf2-deficient mouse incisors were significantly

decreased

compared to that of wild-type mice. We found that iron was

aberrantly

deposited in the papillary layer cells of enamel organ in Nrf2-

deficient mouse, suggesting that the iron transport from blood

vessels

to ameloblasts was disturbed. We also found that ameloblasts of

Nrf2-

null mouse show degenerative atrophy at the late maturation stage,

which gives rise to the loss of iron deposition to the surface of

mature enamel. Our results thus demonstrate that the enamel organ of

Nrf2-deficient mouse has a reduced iron transport capacity, which

results in both the enamel cell degeneration and disturbance of iron

deposition on to the enamel surface.

Grey teeth and lead:

http://focus.hms.harvard.edu/1996/Feb2_1996/Childrens_Health.html

Symptoms of Lead poisoning:

http://www.silentscourge.com/lead.pdf

(Top of page 4)

Table 1.1 Effects of Acute Lead Poisoning. Fatigue. Discolored

(blue-

gray) teeth and gums. Jaundice. Colic. Numbness. Trembling and lack

of

motor control ...

Symptoms of Iron deficiency:

http://planet.time.net.my/commercesquare/mkbc2/nutrinew.html

Breathing difficulties, brittle nails, iron deficiency (pale skin,

fatigue),constipation, anaemia, paleness.

Iron deficiency is hard to detect,many tests may miss it and report

a

false negative:

http://www.drgreene.com/21_1881.html

http://health.yahoo.com/news/123438

HTH,Mimi

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Addition from Summer:

Or a child could drink bone marrow broths everyday.