Is
Acetaminophen Causing an
Autism Epidemic? By Dr. Stephen Piechota, Pharm. D
serious about reversing this dire situation or we will face chaos and oblivion.
A
I’m writing this article to disseminate significant new informa- tion on the cause of the dramatic increase in the prevalence of autism, ADHD and asthma. The incidence of these conditions has risen to epidemic proportions and threatens the health of a whole generation of young Americans. It is evident that the increases are exactly proportional to the expanded use of Acetaminophen (Tyle- nol) since 1980 especially in children following vaccinations and the use of the drug by pregnant women. Scientific inquiry into the reasons for these dramatic increases has led to a thorough understanding of the mechanisms whereby Acetaminophen (APAP) induces damage to brain cells, the liver and the immune system. A recent article in the Journal of Restorative Medicine (October 2013) details the ways Acetaminophen toxic- ity reduces the liver’s ability to detoxify many toxic chemicals in the environment which leads to excessive free radical damage to cellular components. The characteristic loss of brain cells in autism is caused by the loss of brain glutathione due to Acetaminophen usage. Glutathione is an endogenous (made within the body) anti- oxidant that is absolutely essential in protecting against free radical damage, especially in the liver and brain. Without the ability to detoxify the hundreds of environmental toxins to which we are exposed, serious damage to the body’s systems can occur. There- fore, factors such as pesticides, solvents, synthetic drugs, chemicals, PCBs, heavy metals etc… can be unleashed to do real damage. A startling illustration of the damage caused by Acetamino- phen is a comparison with the low incidence of autism in Cuba (185 cases in a population of 11 million) versus 1.5 million in 300 million in the United States. Thus, the rate is 298 times higher than in Cuba. In spite of the poor economic situation in Cuba, they still have compulsory vaccination programs which lead to the conclu- sion that it’s not the vaccines that cause the problem. Interestingly, Cuba does not employ the use of Acetaminophen to reduce fevers after vaccines are given. This fact would seem to implicate the con- comitant use of Acetaminophen and vaccines. Studies seeking to find this link only began about five years ago, but the evidence is significant that great damage is being done by Acetaminophen usage. In addition, these studies verify that the increases in the rates of asthma, and attention deficit-hyperactivity (ADHD) disorders correlated with Acetaminophen usage. For ex- ample, before 1970 ADHD was rare in school children and almost non-existent in adolescents and adults. There was an 8-fold increase
merica is beset by grave health problems and as a nation it leads the world in obesity, diabetes, cancer, autism, attention deficit-hyperactivity (ADHD) and asthma. It is time we get
in the prevalence of ADHD in the United States during 1980–2007. The incidence of Asthma has risen dramatically, as well, in the last forty years. The harmful effects of Acetaminophen must also be mentioned. Consider the following: the use of Acetaminophen by pregnant women produces neurotoxic effects on the brain neurons of the fetus; its use during pregnancy is associated with the teratogenic defects in the testicular function and the GI tract. There is also in- creased incidence of asthma in maternally exposed and postnatally exposed children; Acetaminophen is converted to a toxic metabo- lite (NAPQI) which causes oxidative damage to proteins, nuclear acids and lipids in addition to increased mitochondrial and cellular damage; Acetaminophen also causes severe immune abnormalities, depresses the immune response to vaccines, can cause metabolic acidosis and is the leading cause of liver failure and death in the United States. The damaging effects of APAP are so startling that it is estimated 56,000 emergency visits occur yearly in the United States because of it. In the brains of autistic patients, the most prominent histologi-
cal (tissue), changes were observed in the cerebellum, character- ized by a patchy loss of neurons in the Purkinje cell layer and granular cell layer. These abnormalities are thought to be caused by oxidative stress due to glutathione depletion which results from Acetaminophen metabolites. The rapid increase in autism around 1980 coincides with the increase in asthma, allergies and eczema, all of which reflect the increased use of Acetaminophen. Interestingly, the accelerated use of Acetaminophen followed
the Reye ’s syndrome scare over a possible association with aspirin use. That aspirin/Reye Syndrome relationship has been largely de- bunked, but unfortunately Acetaminophen has replaced aspirin use and is now entrenched as the drug of choice. When you consider the immense damage that has been done
to a whole generation of America’s children and the population in general, it would seem an immediate call to action must occur. The medical community and public must be made aware of the dangers related to Acetaminophen use and take appropriate action to halt the destructive effects that result from the use of this killer drug. If any reader of this article would like to further their under- standing of this information, I suggest looking into the detailed article in the October 2013 issue of the Journal or Restorative Medicine.
Submitted by Dr. Stephen Piechota, Pharm. D of Medical Arts Health and Nutrition Centers located in Bristol and Waterbury, CT. To learn more, visit
http://www.medartsvianova.com.
www.EssentialLivingMaine.com 31
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