We’re all still waiting with bated breath for those reliable biochemical profiles of autistic children this review promised. Yet regrettably, the authors’ ambitious aims to finally establish standard nutritional reference ranges for young autistic kids fell flat. Despite trawling through study after study, their literature quest unearthed no guiding light on the supposedly rampant elemental deficiencies in this group.
Sure, they report that autistic kids tend to have lower blood levels of certain nutrients like magnesium and zinc. But the data is a contradictory mess of single small-scale studies, with other tissue samples telling a different story. We’re left scratching our heads whether these children are actually deficient or not—hardly the definitive nutritional biomarkers we desperately need to guide interventions.
Alas, the biochemical status of autistic youth remains lost in the shadows, as this review has only highlighted the lack of high-quality research in this space. It seems the insights we’re crying out for require more than just rummaging through previous inconsistent findings. Here’s hoping the future investigations this paper calls for actually materialise, or we’ll still be sat here in the dark without the faintest clue how to best feed these youngsters (yes, I know Chicken Nuggets are best). But holding your breath is generally ill-advised.
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Thank you for sharing 💗