tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post5959113743426350317..comments2024-03-27T20:20:54.505+01:00Comments on Epiphany: Brain Hypoperfusion in Autism & CocoaPeter Lloyd-Thomashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10173383229834614994noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-48860448149984856472020-05-09T13:23:34.352+02:002020-05-09T13:23:34.352+02:00nicenicenicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07516299720158824950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-54700773098899183482018-11-26T11:23:37.339+01:002018-11-26T11:23:37.339+01:00Leigh-Roy, you have highlighted a very interesting...Leigh-Roy, you have highlighted a very interesting study.<br /><br />In this Cuban trial Low-level laser therapy was remarkably beneficial.<br /><br />Since there is a limit to how many drugs/supplements you can take, I will be taking a deeper look at options like LLLT.Peter Lloyd-Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10173383229834614994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-69145456135408803662018-11-26T03:41:19.249+01:002018-11-26T03:41:19.249+01:00LLLT might help with perfusion
https://www.ncbi.n...LLLT might help with perfusion<br /><br />https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29956199Leigh-Royhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04656199524061403821noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-12589700730659900702018-10-10T17:27:20.369+02:002018-10-10T17:27:20.369+02:00Thank you. I still did not get to isolate the suga...Thank you. I still did not get to isolate the sugar issue, because he gets sugar, although not much, from other sources. One thing we shall do then is to try frequent doses of high cocoa dark chocolate, no sugar, and check the effects. <br />Supposing there may be a lack of monoamine oxidases (as some say is frequent among Aspergers)and this could be an issue, do you see a possible "antidote" for this? I´ve been studying reserpine and a plant that has some level of it ( Rauwolfia serpentina). But I see it with some precaution because of its depressing effects, depending on the dose. <br />My husband is intolerant to alcohol, to the point of extreme hypoglycemic answers with very little quantities. I´ve been thinking whether some hereditary related mechanism could be playing a role in my sons behaviour, although he does not seem to show the same problem (having tried a litlle wine sometimes). Maybe Myricetin (DHM) and its "anti-booze" proprieties could give me a clue.<br /> It is difficult to assess what may really be happenning, without an accurate step by step exam such as a live brain scan... But I will keep on trying to solve this puzzle. Thank you very much !Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05273665249092297834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-70401232609314468932018-10-09T14:02:50.612+02:002018-10-09T14:02:50.612+02:00Cocoa is also high in magnesium and oxalates which...Cocoa is also high in magnesium and oxalates which might play a role.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-63868963660317966792018-10-09T12:36:09.849+02:002018-10-09T12:36:09.849+02:00Chocolate should increase serotonin and may also t...Chocolate should increase serotonin and may also trigger the release of dopamine, both of which can affect mood/behaviour.<br /><br />Most chocolate has a very low level of flavanols. Their taste is not valued and so standard processing destroys them. Only if you buy expensive high cocoa dark chocolate will you get many cocoa flavanols and even then, not so much.<br /><br />It may well be the sugar in the chocolate that causes the mood change. Spikes in blood sugar do trigger behavioural change in some people and so they adopt a hypoglycemia diet, like a diabetic person. <br />Peter Lloyd-Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10173383229834614994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-55421105204956226132018-10-09T11:26:08.825+02:002018-10-09T11:26:08.825+02:00My son is 14 years old, diagnosed with AS since 4,...My son is 14 years old, diagnosed with AS since 4, pretty intelligent and high functioning with good speech, fair eye contact, a good dose of game addiction and oppositional defying characteristics. Very soon we found out that cocoa and chocolate in general had cumulative bad effects on his behaviour, first with excitement and agitation, leading to outbursts of anger and loss of temper, even violent episodes in a similar way to previously attempted treatment with Risperidone and with Carbamazepine (also with lowered pitch perception effects). Considering these factors, I wonder if he could suffer from an excess (not loss) of amines (like tyramines or pheniletilamines during those episodes) and Hyper - instead of hypoperfusion. In this case I suppose high flavonol cocoa would worsen the scenario. Am I in the right reasoning path? Would you have any suggestion about a substance that could rebalance or neutralize those cumulative effects ? I think this substance could positively improve his condition. Thank you in advance.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05273665249092297834noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-26283041734817928932018-04-06T01:55:48.334+02:002018-04-06T01:55:48.334+02:00I need to know the effect of ginko bilopa on autis...I need to know the effect of ginko bilopa on autism , pleaseAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02726739304165595708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-3401632998614007502017-10-23T09:32:32.462+02:002017-10-23T09:32:32.462+02:00The flavanols in cocoa have proven health benefits...The flavanols in cocoa have proven health benefits, but the rest of the ingredients in chocolate are not helpful. Rather than eat high cocoa content chocolate, better to eat just the high flavanol cocoa or the extracted flavanols. High flavanol cocoa does not taste so good and so to make chocolate the processing destroys the flavanols but improves the taste. Peter Lloyd-Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10173383229834614994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-29180013102213757482017-10-23T08:20:57.586+02:002017-10-23T08:20:57.586+02:00Peter, Came across this and was wondering if you t...Peter, Came across this and was wondering if you think there is some validity to their argument? https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/10/18/15995478/chocolate-health-benefits-heart-diseaseAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-73569292434412755592017-04-22T19:41:44.742+02:002017-04-22T19:41:44.742+02:00I loved your article. As a mom of an adult autisti...I loved your article. As a mom of an adult autistic child, I was grasping at straws to help me. Among other things he was a poor eater. I cam across Healthy Chocolate Co. Xocai unheated chocolates. Their healthy chocolate seems to provide many health benefits for our family. When they came out with the Xocai protein shake with 56,500 ORACfn and 1,128 flavonoids per meal, I tried it for my son with very promising results. He has this shake every morning for breakfast. Not recommended to be used with milk. His morning shake consists of 2 scoops Xocai protein shake, 1 cup ice, 1 cup water, 1/2 frozen banana and a touch of peanut butter. His follow up consisted of quarterly appointments with his specialist who appaeared to notice a benefit in the office of eye contact, better mood and attention. He has been on this shake every morning for the last four years. Benefits we see include muxh better eye contact, talking not just to us but others and greatly improved mood. He is now 24 years old and we expect he will have this every day for life. We continue to see improvements. If you would like to try Xocai Healthy Chocolate, I would be happy to send you a sample. This has been a lifechanger for us as our son used to have severe outbursts that once caused me to have a broken right shoulder and left arm from being pushed. You are on to something as unheated chocolate, cocoa flavanols and antioxidants are making a difference for our autistic son. It almost seems like he is detoxing.Lynette Henkhttp://gocoldpressed.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-32283808558261300162015-11-17T07:32:44.565+01:002015-11-17T07:32:44.565+01:00I ordered the unsweetened cocoa via powder, they ...I ordered the unsweetened cocoa via powder, they come in individual packs. Can be mixed into some cream and sweetener of choice for a lovely pudding. Or pannacotta. I also had it as a not very hot chocolate, just warmed some milk and honey and added the powder to it. Quite good. I think the problem with the sweetened version is the artificial sweetener that your son may not like the taste of. RGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07458829468580940361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-282111202096215512015-11-16T07:14:57.841+01:002015-11-16T07:14:57.841+01:00The answer is probably to learn how to swallow pil...The answer is probably to learn how to swallow pills. I put off trying to do this for years, assuming it would be hard, but it was not.<br /><br />One parent I met a long time ago told me that she made a big point of teaching here two kids with autism how to swallow pills. She was right.<br /><br />Practical tips to make it easier to swallow strange tasting liquids include using a straw (minimizes the taste), giving a reward for drinking the medicine and to start with a mild taste and gradually make it stronger. My son had all these issues, but will now drink almost anything if I tell him it is medicine and he gets a gummy bear. Peter Lloyd-Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10173383229834614994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-56558811891251239522015-11-16T00:11:14.576+01:002015-11-16T00:11:14.576+01:00I live in the USA and ordered the Mars Cocoavia (s...I live in the USA and ordered the Mars Cocoavia (sweetened chocolate flavor with 375mg of flavanols per packet). Unfortunately, my 8 year old son hates the taste and spit it out even though I mixed it up in a smoothie. I'd also tried PharmaNAC a few months ago and he had the same reaction. (Reviews of both products are mixed with some loving the taste and others hating it.) I tired it myself and I don't care for the taste- but it's ok when I take it with tea. I don't know if it's true but I read one review of the product, which claims heat reduces the flavanol content and it's better to eat it cold.<br />Regards,<br />RD Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-1478921098431047872015-11-05T08:54:53.404+01:002015-11-05T08:54:53.404+01:00I think most older people would benefit from Cocoa...I think most older people would benefit from Cocoavia and I think that Mars will make a big business out of it. Good for them.Peter Lloyd-Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10173383229834614994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-31699739808656703362015-11-03T22:27:07.586+01:002015-11-03T22:27:07.586+01:00Hi Peter,
Someone I know is taking 700mg of Coco...Hi Peter, <br /><br />Someone I know is taking 700mg of Cocoavia per day. He is not autistic, but has other neurological/psychiatric issues, including slowing of working memory (though not evident in neuropsych testing), mild depression. His thyroid antibodies are very high with euthyroid, and the diagnosis is maybe Hashimoto's encephalopathy, not thyroiditis. He is due for a course of i.v. steroids and his response to that will confirm diagnosis. He is a highly intelligent person, been an executive, but is struggling a bit at work now. He also had a quadruple bypass earlier this year, was the youngest the hospital had had for the surgery. He reports feeling 'bright' with the cocoavia, some improvement of symptoms, says it is a keeper. He does seem a bit better, and there seem to be both acute and cumulative effects. He is planning on increasing to 1gm, will keep you updated. <br /><br />Many thanks for your input. RGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07458829468580940361noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-58456264617298737872015-11-03T15:53:44.720+01:002015-11-03T15:53:44.720+01:00The cited study does support the use of aspirin, b...The cited study does support the use of aspirin, but there are some other ones that are not as supportive. <br /><br />http://stroke.ahajournals.org/content/42/9/2571.long<br /><br />These studies are all looking at slightly different things and you really want to know the effect of aspirin in otherwise healthy people, who happen to have autism.<br /><br />Given many people with autism have GERD/GORD/reflux and other GI problems, long term use of aspirin might not be wise anyway.Peter Lloyd-Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10173383229834614994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-3183284047550200122015-11-03T15:37:26.622+01:002015-11-03T15:37:26.622+01:00The aspirin treated group improved-- but was it th...The aspirin treated group improved-- but was it the perfusion that you are mentioning? I am confused.<br /><br />Significant improvements were demonstrated for cerebral perfusion values (P < .0001) and cognitive performance scores (P < .0001) among aspirin-treated patients compared to untreated controls at each of three annual follow-up evaluations. Both men and women benefited from aspirin therapy and their quality of life and independence appeared to be improved, which was not apparent in the control group. Daily aspirin appears to improve or stabilize declines in cerebral perfusion and cognition among patients with multi-infarct dementia.<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-44630084623301102622015-11-03T10:04:20.848+01:002015-11-03T10:04:20.848+01:00Within "autism" there are often both ext...Within "autism" there are often both extremes, hypo and hyper, so I would not be surprised if there were people with hyperperfusion. The research I found only referred to hypoperfusion. It would be nice to know if this correlates with cognitive ability (IQ), at least some of the time.<br /><br />Trials on aspirin have show reduction in cerebral blood flow and the opposite, like the one below:-<br /><br />Randomized Clinical Trial of Daily Aspirin Therapy in Multi-Infarct Dementia<br />http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1532-5415.1989.tb05688.x/abstract;jsessionid=2113DC07393D92F100DD18E27ABE9BE3.f01t03?userIsAuthenticated=false&deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=Peter Lloyd-Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10173383229834614994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-58848520228279415662015-11-03T04:19:25.811+01:002015-11-03T04:19:25.811+01:00HI
great post -- isn't this what some of the ...HI <br />great post -- isn't this what some of the benefits of baby aspirin are supposed to do? (recognizing there are side effects, etc) <br /><br />Also, aren't there many cases of autism where there is hyperfusion so this would aggravate the problem? <br /><br />I am hoping that people who try this -let us know their findings. Thanks, MHAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-12419632287044455442015-11-02T23:10:40.609+01:002015-11-02T23:10:40.609+01:00I am still experimenting and where we live none of...I am still experimenting and where we live none of these products are available, which complicates matters. I give the broccoli twice a day, but the second dose is a half dose. I think this may also be wise for the cocoa, but it is still early days. If you are doing to trial it, the first thing is see if there is any effect, then you can fine tune the dosage.Peter Lloyd-Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10173383229834614994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-31605297150648816982015-11-02T22:49:11.416+01:002015-11-02T22:49:11.416+01:00So are you taking 500mg once per day, or 250mg twi...So are you taking 500mg once per day, or 250mg twice per day?<br />JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17769827238808423873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-41269344758079807502015-11-02T21:28:44.589+01:002015-11-02T21:28:44.589+01:00One teaspoon is 5.9ml and I think is about 2.5g. S...One teaspoon is 5.9ml and I think is about 2.5g. So if you use ACTICOA you might need as much as 4 teaspoons a day. This is a lot. The most I used was two teaspoons in one go.<br />If you use Cocoavia, you can buy capsules with an exact amount in mg of flavanols.<br />In various trials 500mg of flavanols has a good effect, but 1,000mg was better. So i thought I would aim for 500mg which I think will take two teaspoons of ACTICOA.<br />In trials they give it once a day, but this may be more for convenience. Looking at the half-life of epicatechin makes me think twice a day should be better. You can drink two teaspoons of cocoa, drinking four would not be pleasant.<br />10g of ACTICOA contains 1g of flavanols. For the Mars CocoAvia product they have done the conversion to mg of flavanols for you, just look at their product details on their website.Peter Lloyd-Thomashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10173383229834614994noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-655962722302095847.post-383603458401532952015-11-02T20:48:47.113+01:002015-11-02T20:48:47.113+01:00Peter. I'll probably try this soon, but I wou...Peter. I'll probably try this soon, but I would like to get a better understanding of the dosing you used.<br /><br />You said you mixed in 5 ml with the broccoli powder. Does 5 ml represent the coco product as a whole, or the flavanols within? I'm guessing you meant 5ml of the product (or grams?) which contains .about 50 gm of flavanols. Also, are you doing it multiple times per day?<br /><br />Thanks!JBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17769827238808423873noreply@blogger.com