Autism and Methyl-B12

[kind2creatures]

by Kurt Woeller

(NaturalNews) Methylcobolamin (Methyl-B12) as a vitamin is a very important treatment for individuals - children, teenagers and adults - on the autism-spectrum. It is also useful for people with other issues as well including attention deficit, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, sensory processing and speech/language problems. Why is it so important, and why should you be using it as a supportive treatment? Because Methyl-B12 is known to significantly help with higher cognitive function such as speech and language development, focusing and attention, improved environmental awareness, and more willingness to engage socially.

How does Methyl-B12 do this, and why should it be considered as an essential therapy for those on the autism-spectrum? The bottom line is that it works
well for many individuals.

Methyl-B12 supports an important biochemical system in our body called methylation. Methylation chemistry is critical for a variety of essential physiological effects including proper sequencing and production of brain chemistry such as dopamine and serotonin which are necessary for motor coordination, mood and focusing. Methylation supports healthy brain cell function by augmenting the production of glutathione which is necessary to protect the cells against toxins, i.e. heavy metals, chemicals.

This process of glutathione production helps our body get rid of toxins. It also supports normal immune function and helps protect the brain against oxidative stress which causes tissue damage. Methylation supports healthy cells throughout the body and brain to increase their communication capabilities. This is particularly important in the brain where cell-to-cell communication is critical for proper brain function. Methylation also augments the integrity of our DNA which is crucial for our overall health and survival. Without methyation and the physiological support of Methyl-B12 our ability to function from a cognitive and speech/language standpoint would be greatly compromised.

Individuals on the autism-spectrum almost universally have a biochemical imbalance in their methylation chemistry which Methyl-B12 helps to support. The problem is that many are not accessing their own body's stores of Methyl-B12 or the pathways that supports Methyl-B12 function are damaged and not working correctly. Hence the use of Methyl-B12 as a supplemental therapy (subcutaneous injection being the most ideal - discussed in detail in my book Methyl B12 for Autism: www.MethylB12forAutism.com ) is critical to help get individuals on the autism-spectrum back on track to improve their overall cognitive abilities, and for some on the road to eventual recovery.

https://www.naturalnews.com/031391_methyl-B12_autism.html

 

[u&iraok]

There's a caution regarding using the methyl B-12 form according to Rich Van Konynenburg, PhD, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome researcher. Both Autism and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome share this Methylation problem. Rich has a Methylation Protocol that he developed as a simplified form of Dr Amy Yasko's protocol. It doesn't use the Methyl form and I asked him why and here was his response:

Hi, u&iraok.

If methylcobalamin gives you good results, I think it's fine. There are differing views about which form of B12 should be used.

In my hypothesis, the problem with B12 in CFS is functional. Most PWCs are not deficient in B12, but their cells are not able to make proper use of it, because glutathione has become depleted, and glutathione is necessary to protect B12 in the cells during its normal metabolism to form the two active coenzyme forms, methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin. As a result, the B12 is hijacked by reactions with toxins in the cells and cannot be used for its normal purposes.

To overcome this problem, it is necessary to take B12 at dosages much higher than the RDA for B12, which is a few micrograms per day. PWCs need to take dosages in the milligrams range, a thousand times larger, to make up for what is being hijacked and leave enough left over for the cells to use in the normal ways.

Methylcobalamin is the actual form of B12 that is used by methionine synthase in the methylation cycle, which is partially blocked in CFS. If fairly large dosages of it (in the milligrams per day range) are taken sublingually or by injection, some of it will diffuse into the cells from the blood as methylcobalamin and be used directly by methionine synthase. This is the approach recommended by freddd on the Phoenix Rising and Wrong Diagnosis boards.

If methylcobalamin is taken orally, then it will be absorbed in more limited amounts from the gut using the intrinsic factor mechanism, carried in the blood to the cells by transcobalamin and will then have its methyl group removed in the cells and be converted to either adenosylcobalamin or back to methylcobalamin. This is the normal B12 pathway, and it normally allows the cells to make as much methylcobalamin as they need. In CFS, this mechanism will not supply enough to overcome the hijacking.

If hydroxocobalamin is taken sublingually or by injection in milligram amounts, it, too, will diffuse into the cells and will supply a generous amount of B12 to them. However, the cells will need to do the conversions to methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin before it can be used by them. This allows the cells to control how much they make, but they are usually still able to make enough to get the methylation cycle going again. However, some people do not have enough methyl groups to do the conversion to methylcobalamin, and they either need to take high-dose methylcobalamin sublingually or by injection, or they need to raise their available methylation capacity by taking SAMe in addition, or by taking some betaine (trimethylglycine or TMG) and perhaps some methionine to help their liver to make more SAMel.

My concerns with most people with CFS taking large amounts of methylcobalamin sublingually or by injection are two: one is that methylcobalamin is capable of reacting with inorganic mercury to make methylmercury, which can readily cross the blood-brain barrier and act as a neurotoxin. It is not proven that this happens in the human body, but it has been shown in guinea pig experiments, and there have been a small number of PWCs who have reported severe neurological symptoms shortly after getting IV methylcobalamin in fairly large dosages. These people did have high inorganic mercury body burdens. Many PWCs do, from amalgam fillings in the presence of glutathione depletion over long times of illness.

My other concern is that taking large dosages of methylcobalamin sublingually or by injection can overdrive the methylation cycle. I have seen this on test results from a couple of people who tried this. I think that the result of this can be that the flow down the transsulfuration pathway to make glutathione can be cut back by this approach, because the homocysteine is rapidly converted back to methionine, and not enough remains to go down the transsulfuration pathway. I think this can prolong the recovery. Also since methylation affects gene expression a lot, I think there could be other effects of overdriving the methylation cycle that are not understood yet. I think it is prudent not to push the methylation cycle too hard, but rather to try to get it operating more normally.

So this is the basis for my suggesting hydroxocobalamin. But there are people who started with hydroxocobalamin, and hit a plateau, and switching to methylcobalamin reportedly helped them.

I note also that the DAN! doctors use subcutaneous injection of methylcobalamin to treat autism, and it seems to work pretty well by that mode. Subcutaneous injection limits the rate of release to the bloodstream from the fat layer under the skin.

I guess that's the story, at least from my point of view.

Best regards,

Rich

 

[u&iraok]

SIMPLIFIED TREATMENT APPROACH
FOR LIFTING THE METHYLATION CYCLE BLOCK
IN CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME

(Extracted from the full treatment program
developed by Amy Yasko, Ph.D., N.D.
which is used primarily in treating autism [1])

SUPPLEMENTS

1. FolaPro [2]: ¼ tablet (200mcg) daily
2. Intrinsi B12/folate [3]: ¼ tablet daily
3. General Vitamin Neurological Health Formula [4]: start with ¼ tablet and work up dosage as tolerated to 2 tablets daily
4. Phosphatidyl Serine Complex [5]: 1 softgel capsule daily
5. Activated B12 Guard [6]: 1 sublingual lozenge daily

All these supplements can be obtained from https://www.holisticheal.com, or all but the third one can be obtained from other sources.
The first two supplement tablets are difficult to break into quarters. We recommend that you obtain (from any pharmacy) a good-quality pill splitter to assist with this process. They can, alternatively, be crushed into powders, which are then separated on a flat surface using a knife or single-edged razor blade, and the powders can be mixed together. They can be taken orally with water, with or without food.
These supplements can make some patients sleepy, so in those cases they take them at bedtime. They can be taken at any time of day, with or without food.
GO SLOWLY. As the methylation cycle block is lifted, toxins are released and processed by the body, and this can lead to an exacerbation of symptoms. IF THIS HAPPENS, try smaller doses, every other day. SLOWLY work up to the full dosages.
Although this treatment approach consists only of nonprescription nutritional supplements, a few patients have reported adverse effects while on it. Therefore, it is necessary that patients be supervised by physicians while receiving this treatment.




[1] Yasko, Amy, and Gordon, Garry, The Puzzle of Autism, Matrix Development Publishing, Payson, AZ, 2006, p. 49.
[2] FolaPro is a registered trademark of Metagenics, Inc.
[3] Intrinsi B12/Folate is a registered trademark of Metagenics, Inc.
[4] General Vitamin Neurological Health Formula is formulated and supplied by Holistic Health Consultants LLC.
[5] Phosphatidyl Serine Complex is a product of Vitamin Discount Center.
[6] Activated B12 Guard is a registered trademark of Perque LLC.


More detailed description:

www.ei-resource.org/articles/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-articles/simple-methylation-treatment-protocol-for-chronic-fatigue-syndrome/