Researchers draw link between processed foods and rise in autism

Jun 21, 2019

New Delhi, Jun 21 (ANI): According to a recent study, processed foods may hold key to rise in autism. With the findings of this study, researchers suggest that they are now a step closer to showing the link between the food pregnant women consume and the effects on a fetus' developing brain. As part of the study, a team of researchers identified the molecular changes that happen when neuro stem cells are exposed to high levels of acid commonly found in processed foods. In the study published June 19 in Scientific Reports, a Nature journal, the scientists discovered how high levels of Propionic Acid (PPA), used to increase the shelf life of packaged foods and inhibit mold in commercially processed cheese and bread, reduce the development of neurons in fetal brains. In the lab, the scientists found exposing neural stem cells to excessive PPA damages brain cells in several ways. They also cause inflammation, which has been noted in the brains of autistic children. Excessive amounts of the acid also shorten and damage pathways that neurons use to communicate with the rest of the body. The combination of reduced neurons and damaged pathways impede the brain's ability to communicate, resulting in behaviors that are often found in children with autism, including repetitive behavior, mobility issues and inability to interact with others.