Nutritional epigenetics education improves diet and attitude of parents of children with autism or attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder

Figure 1 Nutritional epigenetics model for autism and attention deficit hyperactivity/disorder. Ultra-processed foods contain food colors, vegetable oils, refined sugars such as high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and organophosphate (OP) and other pesticide residues. Consumption of ultra-processed foods leads to inorganic mercury and lead (Pb) exposures and dietary deficits in fatty acids (e.g., docosahexaenoic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid) and micronutrients such as selenium. Dietary consumption of HFCS and food colors, yellow #5 and yellow #6, leads to mineral imbalances such as zinc and/or calcium losses and copper gain. Inadequate zinc stores and copper gain can disrupt metallothionein gene function and result in the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the blood stream which creates oxidative stress and changes in DNA methylation patterns that may impact child health and learning across generations. Inadequate calcium stores can lead to the bioaccumulation of Pb in the bloodstream and inhibit paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) gene function which is needed to detoxify the neurotoxic OP residues in the food supply. Without adequate PON1 gene activity, dietary exposures to OP pesticide residues result in oxidative stress and changes in DNA methylation patterns that impact child health and learning across generations. ADHD: Attention deficit hyperactivity/disorder; OP: Organophosphate; DHA: Docosahexaenoic acid; EPA: Eicosapentaenoic acid; I-Hg: Inorganic mercury; PON-1: Paraoxonase-1.