Supplement Burnout

By: Dr. Julie A. Wilczynski, ND, CNC

            Taking supplements is like beginning a new exercise routine. With exercise we are asking our body to perform a new task and learn how to do it in a way that will work positively for us, whether that means building strong muscles, losing body fat, or recovering from injury. We have a specific goal we are trying to achieve in a predetermined amount of time and performing “that” exercise will aid in reaching that goal. It will take time; we won’t expect to see goal results overnight. It may be painful along the way. If we are not accustomed to exercise our muscles will hurt and take time to adjust to the new motions we are performing. We may even see set-backs. If we push too hard too fast we can suffer with injuries, which will add time to our ability to reach that goal.

            I often see people grab a bottle of supplement “X” off of a shelf and exclaim, “Oh, I heard this is great for BLAH and BLAH BLAH!” Without reading what is in the supplement they will march proudly up to the counter and make their purchase. The trouble with this type of purchase is that they may already be taking adequate amounts of this particular supplement, or may not even need this supplement at all.

            Supplements need to be taken with a purpose. They need to be monitored to ensure that they are meeting the needs and fulfilling the designated “goals”. Can supplements be dangerous? As a Naturopath, as a Counselor of Natural Health and Nutritionist, and especially as a mother of a child with Autism – they most certainly can!

            This is taken from JAMA, the Journal of American Medical Associates: Most people do not consume an optimal amount of all vitamins by diet alone. Pending strong evidence of effectiveness from randomized trials, it appears prudent for all adults to take vitamin supplements. JAMA. 2002;287:3127-3129.

Not only do adults need to supplement with additional nutrients, but the same holds true for our neurotypical children and this is especially true for our children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorders. As a mother of a child diagnosed with autism, I know how hard it is to get nourishing food into his growing body. Not only does he have food sensitivities, but he also has food aversions, food fears and sensory issues surrounding textures, smells and tastes of his foods. Getting him to eat something new is a tricky endeavor and not a task we perform on a daily basis because it comes with a struggle. Deciding to supplement is easy, but determining how, when and hour much presents many parents and families with difficulties.

With supplements, more does not equal better and with supplements I will always choose a natural versus a synthetic. We all have so many choices to consider when it comes to helping our children. Supplementing can quickly become overwhelming as we read, research and listen to all that we can regarding what may be working for others in our shoes.

Supplement “Burn Out” can happen quickly, especially if we are adding and adding supplement after supplement. If we are over supplementing, how can we determine which supplement is causing benefit for our child. If we put our children on a protocol we heard was beneficial for child X in city Y diagnosed with Z, it may give our child no benefits or relief at all. When this occurs we tend to think that all supplements are garbage and why even bother. Supplementing for our children should not be looked upon as “one size fits all”. Each child is an individual, and as such has different needs.

How we get started is as important a decision as deciding to supplement at all. Baselines need to be determined to allow for tracking of progress. Tests to determine current levels of minerals stored versus minerals excreted as well as tests to determine toxic load levels should be conducted. We can test hair for levels of minerals as well as for heavy metal toxicity. We can collect saliva to aid in determining if digestive malfunction and/or food sensitivity or allergy needs to be addressed to ensure nutritional and supplemental changes are given the best opportunity to effect positive change. Stool can also be tested for the presence of toxic heavy metals, yeast and other factors that would slow progress.

With my son (here I go with child X…) I started by determining baselines. What were his needs and how could I fulfill them and how could I track his progress. I started simply, hair sampling and testing for allergies and Candida. Supplementing began slowly so I could follow and easily track his progress. We could always go back and test again to see if we were moving in the right direction, because we had his baselines. We could also see progress in his behavior and socialization. Progress is not always determined by a clinical laboratory test, but also by our child’s ability to communicate, ability to socialize, decreased irritability, decreased stimming, etc.

Currently, my son is on a protocol that for him is “maintenance”. It is streamlined from where he began, he eats much better than he did 3 years ago and it works for HIM!