Explained | How does the gut microbiome link to autism spectrum disorders?

‘Fix your gut, fix your brain’ used to be an underrated idea, but it is today gaining in relevance a

‘Fix your gut, fix your brain’ used to be an underrated idea, but it is today gaining in relevance as more and more research throws light on the role of the community of bacteria living in your gut, a.k.a. the gut microbiome.

A healthy gut microbiome is not a panacea – but it may be able to facilitate better overall health and help improve the quality of life of individuals with various diseases that lack other proven interventions. Differences in gut microbiome composition have been implicated in several diseases, including autism, Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease.

What is autism?

‘Autism spectrum disorder’ (ASD) is the term for a group of neurodevelopmental disorders. Researchers are yet to fully understand the aetiology of ASD. (Aetiology is the study of the factors that cause a condition or disease.) However, they are beginning to find that a disorder in the gut-brain axis could have a prominent part.

According to the World Health Organisation, ASD affects one in 100 children. Children with ASD have impaired social interactions, lack verbal and nonverbal communication skills, and display restricted and repetitive behaviours. These characteristics can adversely affect one’s cognitive abilities and, over time, diminish one’s quality of life.

A relatively under-researched aspect of ASD is the gastrointestinal problems associated with a subset of children with ASD. Limited research findings as well as anecdotal evidence indicate, strongly in some cases, the presence of various gastrointestinal problems, like constipation, diarrhoea, flatulence, and bloating, among others, in children with ASD.

But even as researchers have proposed several theories over the years to explain the aetiology of ASD, the pathophysiology of the disorder remains largely unknown. (Pathophysiology is the study of a condition’s impact on biological processes.)