You might well ask what your insides have to do with a badminton court. Let me explain. The gut is an extremely important player in health. The gut, otherwise known as the digestive tract, runs from the mouth to the rear outlet. I will explain why the analogy, describe why the gut is important, how it pertains to autism with a chart that shows steps the food takes through the gut, how they work, and why what the gut does and contains is so integral to your physical health, and also the mind, how it can go wrong in general and how its dysfunction can be a primary consideration in autistic behaviours.

But first off, let’s talk about the badminton court analogy because the size of the gut surface intestines is surprising. Studies have been undertaken to find out the surface area of the gut intestines and quite surprisingly, once laid out on a flat surface, one was measured at around 35 square meters- around the surface area of half a badminton court. You may well ask how on earth can the surface be so large! Well, this is partly due to the small intestine which makes up the largest surface because it is built up with many folds and protrusions, nooks and crannies and villi. Villi are little hairlike projections from the gut wall that absorb the nutrients but there are 6-25,000 of them per square inch of tissue, so altogether when laid flat, they comprise a huge area.

The digestive system is the largest interface in the body that is in contact with the external environment, fulfilling the function of processing food and then nourishing the bacteria aka the “gut microbiome”, which has an immense effect on the immune system and overall health. The good bacteria:

• provide the body with essential nutrients (B vitamins)
• metabolise indigestible compounds such as fibre (beans, broccoli, berries,avocados, apples and dried fruits)
• stimulate the immune system
• defend against the bad bacteria and fungal overgrowth

It’s not surprising therefore to learn that 70-80% of the immune cells system are in the gut.

The immune system in the gut is constantly challenged with antigens (a toxin or any foreign substance which induces an immune response in the body, especially the production of antibodies) and therefore must be able to distinguish which antigens should be tolerated or not (self-antigens or what you’re born with, food, symbiotic microbes vs. pathogens, toxins). The immune system will do its best to rid the body of these uninvited guests. Infections and infectious diseases are a leading cause of death, particularly in low-income countries as well as a worrying risk to the elderly and infants in general. As the immune system plays a significant role in the spread, persistence and clearing of these infections, it makes sense to focus on the gut as it is home to 70%-80% of the immune cells in the body and is increasingly recognised as affecting immunity overall.

Discover valuable insights into gut health and enhance your overall wellbeing by consulting with one of our nutritionists:

Gut bacteria

Let’s focus on the gut bacteria. Intestinal dysbiosis is when the resident good gut bacteria are not plentiful enough and then are often overcome by bad bacteria (i.e. clostridia) or fungus (i.e. candida albicans). Clostridia can be fatal if left to its own devices in the long run in immune-compromised people and candida overgrowth can have its own untenable symptoms.  The toxic byproducts of Candida tend to cause inflammation, and become more noticeable when they “die-off”, which can lead to:

• a stuffy nose
• blocked sinuses
• and other allergy-like symptoms

Metabolites like the neurotoxin acetaldehyde can also cause symptoms like:

• brain fog
• headaches
• fatigue
• nausea

Inflammation in the gut in general can have a negative knock-on effect by debilitating the vagus nerve, which has endings in most organs and the skin thereby causing dysfunction everywhere. I suspect that this nerve can cause sensory dysfunction throughout skin of the body and perhaps the reason that children on the spectrum do not like to be touched or have issues with hair cutting or clothes they wear (too itchy or too harsh on the skin).

The trillions of bacteria packed inside the gut (the bulk which is now considered an organ in itself) is called the GUT MICROBIOME.  You have a significant area that requires careful consideration. Why? Because, over the last years, so much research shows that:

• mood
• immunity
• weight control
• bone health
• heart health

…. just to mention a few are quite dependent on the health of the MICROBIOME.

Let’s delve into this a little further.

The intestinal microbiota is formed in the first 1000 days of life, when it is particularly sensitive to various factors, such as:

• the composition of the mother’s microbiota
• type of delivery
• infant’s diet
• number of siblings
• antibiotic therapy

Antibiotics during this time has been associated with autistic behaviours. Breastfeeding and vaginal birth favourably affect the formation of an infant’s intestinal microbiota. The intestinal microbiota of these infants is characterized by an early dominance of Bifidobacterium, which may have a significant impact on the development of immune tolerance. Bifidobacterium breve is a species commonly isolated from the intestines of healthy breastfed infants and from human milk and protect against allergy development. During vaginal delivery, the mother’s microbiota is the main source of microorganisms colonizing newborns. With Caesarean births, bacteria is normally picked up from the environment in the surgical room.

The scientific literature reports more frequent GI problems affecting young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Developmental Disorder (DD) more commonly than those with typical development.  Maladaptive behaviours correlate with GI problems, suggesting these comorbidities require attention.

The blog Steps in the digestive tract – and what can go wrong! discusses the phases of the digestive system and where the process can go wrong, with a specific focus on their relevance to ASD. It is important to highlight the fact that many on the spectrum are chronically in a “fright/flight” mode or activated sympathetic mode. This the digestive system basically closes down. The digestive system works better in the para-sympathetic mode where the body is geared to digest.

If you require further support to improve gut health and overall wellbeing please book an appointment with a registered nutritionists:

Additionally, view a list of supplements that may improve gut health issues.  Please note that we highly recommend consulting with a nutritionist before initiating any supplementation: