Antioxidants—a molecule found in substance such as ascorbic acid, glutathione, and melatonin—are said to prevent a number of serious diseases, such as cancer and heart disease. An antioxidant is a molecule capable of slowing or preventing the oxidation of other molecules. However, what is not widely known is that antioxidants could also possibly prevent autism. This is what researchers from the University of Arkansas claim, based on their study in 2005. According to their breakthrough and somewhat controversial study, the antioxidant levels of children suffering from autism are significantly lower compared to children without autism.



This study seems only slightly insignificant when judging it from face value. After all, the same can be said about a number of diseases. However, the significance of antioxidants in the body—and the implications this research have—is an important progress in the fight against autism. But first, what are antioxidants? Why is this substance important in the human body?

Antioxidants can prevent or prolong the oxidation process of other molecules from the substances that people take in. Oxidation (or the reduction-oxidation reaction), on the other hand, is a reaction where that produces free radicals. These free radicals can damage certain cells in the body, causing a number of diseases and ailments. The reduction-oxidation process is inevitable, to say the least, since certain substances can produce free radicals. A number of studies have proven that these free radicals are present even in the very air in the atmosphere.

So what does this got to do with autism? Oxidants can cause brain injuries—in fact, the brain is very vulnerable to oxidation damages. On the other hand, antioxidants are also responsible for toxin elimination from the body. With the presence of oxidants, the body will be unable to detoxify themselves from harmful heavy metal substances present in their body, another supposed cause of autism. Heavy metal substances can be found in vaccines, so children are already exposed to harmful chemicals early on. This supposed effect of vaccines is contested by many medical experts, but a number of sectors claim vaccines play a part in autism development in children.

The researchers from the University of Arkansas still believe that autism is a genetic ailment. However, in an interview with Forbes.com, a researcher from the said university have said that while autism is caused by genetics, environmental triggers play a part in the disease's genetic basis. In addition, antioxidants also prevent free radicals from harming the brain. Certain studies made by several countries have already linked brain inflammation to autism, and this inflammation can be caused by oxidants. A strengthened immune system, thanks to antioxidants, can provide protection against brain damage.

Hence, many doctors, all over the country, see antioxidants as one of the more valuable elements in the fight against autism. A number of professionals, too, such as those from the Autism Research Institute, encourage parents to give their children with autism food that are rich with antioxidants, as well as supplements that prevent oxidation in the body.