Phenols are aromatic compounds that are found naturally in all plant foods and pollens. They are also found in chemicals, industrial pollutants or by products and ironically they are most plentiful in many of the 'healthy' foods that people are conscious to eat as part of a healthy diet.
However the symptom list associated with poor processing of phenols and their consequent build up in the body is what really hits home regarding their importance in the sphere of ASD and ADHD understanding and treatment.
In our area of clinical medicine, identifying which phenols are causing symptoms related to sensitivity and carrying out therapeutic neutralisation or 'desensitisation' can offer dramatic results to some apparently deep seated and intractable behavioural patterns. In other words, it can be one of the 'easy wins' in clinical treatment.
PHENOLS & PHENOLIC SENSITIVITY
How do we end up with phenolic sensitivities?
PROCESSING PROBLEMS, NUTRIENT DEFICIENCIES, TOXIN BLOCKADES, INFECTIONS INCREASING PHENOL LOADS IN THE BODY:
Sensitivity is frequently a processing issue in the body.
This can arise from low enzyme secretions that mean certain nutrient groups are
poorly tolerated, it may be due to an overburdened or poorly fueled detoxification
pathway which is key for metabolising and processing key chemical groups from the
body, it may be a nutrient deficiency that powers a route of metabolic detoxification,
or a toxicity effect that disturbs the function of one of these methods of
detoxification. Digestive inflammation and infection may also play a key role in the
generation of sensitivity reactions.
Phenols are a group of chemicals like Salicylic acid that are commonly found in many
different foods and substances, such as pollens, animal hair and petrochemicals.
Confusingly, phenols are also highly associated with all kinds of healthy food and life choices, which can mask where trigger factors are coming from.
A doctor once reported that, “… phenolics are what makes life worth living”. They are
the colors, flavours, smells, natural preservatives, neurotransmitter and hormonal
expressions of the Vital Force. They are also the reactive agents in foods,
supplements, drugs, chemicals, perfumes, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, dental
products, pollens, dust, molds, etc. These phenolics are inhaled, ingested and
consumed. They are often processed slowly by compromised detoxification systems,
thereby creating sensitivity challenges for people.
SENSITIVITY IS RARELY INATE, IT IS A CONSEQUENCE OF OTHER FACTORS CAUSING A BURDEN ON THE SYSTEM
We can develop sensitivity to them for a number of reasons. Some of them are
found in food but are also produced by yeasts, so yeast overgrowth may cause
increased levels resulting in overload and sensitivity reactions. Phenols are largely
detoxified by the sulphation pathway, and require an adequately nourished
sulphation and methylation pathway to work efficiently, as well as a functioning PST
enzyme, which is also key to their detoxification. Foods that use up lots of sulphate
needed to power this enzyme and pathway will contribute to issues here, and
include apple juice, chocolate, citrus fruit juices and paracemtamol. Phenol
sensitivities often respond well to support of this pathway as well as targeted
homeopathic desensitisation protocols.
Conventional medicine defines an allergic reaction as the production of IgE
antibodies in response to antigenic proteins. While phenolics compounds do not act
as antigens themselves, they are believed to be capable of becoming antigenic
once they enter the body of sensitive individuals. Complaints such as headaches
from eating chocolate, or an itchy, swollen tongue from ingesting a piece of fruit are
common reactions in those who are sensitive to phenolics. Multiple chemical
sensitivities, adverse reactions to virtually all foods, Chronic Fatigue, Asthma, chronic
respiratory complaints, ADD/ADHD and Autism are all indications of possible
sensitivity to phenolic compounds, or are a part of the symptom picture associated with these conditions and states.
This article will be published as a series in order to do justice to the importance and volume of vital information that is associated with this metabolic puzzle. Understanding phenols, PST enzyme and the issues that affect it is one of the key pieces to connecting the dots and understanding ADHD, autism and many other neurological pathology states as well as behavioural dysfunctions.
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