Navigation
Inflammation (il-1β) modifies the effect of vitamin d and omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids on core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder-an exploratory pilot study
This 2020 study addresses the inconsistent data on the beneficial effect of vitamin D and omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3 LCPUFA) in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This article examined whether the inflammatory state would influence the impact of nutrients on ASD symptoms. For 12 months, 73 children with ASD (aged 2.5-8 years) took either vitamin D (2000 IU/day), omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (722 mg/day docosahexaenoic acid), both (VIDOM), or a placebo. Plasma levels of interleukin-1β (an indicator of inflammation) were recorded at baseline. While the core symptoms of ASD were assessed using the Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) questionnaire at baseline and after 12 months. When comparing treatment vs. placebo, the vitamin D, omega-3 LCPUFA, and VIDOM groups showed greater improvements in the awareness subscale of the SRS questionnaire. When considering kids with high interleukin-1β concentrations only, there were several notable points. In terms of total SRS scores and social communicative functioning scores, the omega-3 fatty acid group showed greater growth from baseline than the placebo group. Moreover, there was a rise in awareness scores of all 3 treatment groups (fatty acids, vitamin D, and both) after the 12 months of treatments, compared with placebo. In conclusion, inflammatory state may influence treatment response to vitamin D and omega-3 LCPUFA interventions in children with ASD. Children with inflammation may benefit more from daily supplementation. [NPID: vitamin D, fatty acids, PUFA, unsaturated fatty acids, polyunsaturated fatty acids, ASD, autism, autism spectrum disorder, inflammation, supplements, supplementation]
Year: 2020
