It’s All in the Yeast
Science writer Carl Zimmer writes in praise of yeast and notes the “intricacies of its metabolism.” It’s a post probably not to the likings of “I killed CANDIDA” autism mother Jenny McCarthy, who has recently been referred to as an “autism healer” and a “hero” by UCLA chief executive officer of the Hospital System, Dr. David Feinberg. (But would it be more honorable to be an autism whisperer?)
More to the point:
The latest study of yeast’s intricacy comes from the University of Wisconsin lab of Sean Carroll. Carroll has become the public’s go-to guy for evo-devo, or the evolution of development, thanks to his book Endless Forms Most Beautiful. Carroll and his colleagues have carried out path-breaking experiments that reveal how relatively small changes in DNA can lead to dramatic changes in how animals grow into adults. A key point of Carroll’s work, as well as that of many other evo-devo researchers, is that evolution is not just about the mutations that alter the way proteins work. The genes that encode those proteins are controlled by intricate switches, which determine where and when they make proteins. Change those switches, and you can change how an animal develops. For example, there’s a circuit of genes that specifies the coordinates of a insect’s overall body plan. Carroll and his colleagues have demonstrated that this same mapping system was borrowed to determine where spots go on butterfly wings.
Zimmer notes that you can give identitical genes different “instructions”—the “switches”—and something different can result in an organism’s development. It’s not just our genes themselves that determine who we are and what we have, but what “switches” get turned on and off. To say that “autism is genetic” is not to say that it is a “hopeless” condition. Zimmer suggests that identical genes can differ in function.
Yeast may not be all that bad, or at least, far from being a culprit causing autism, can point to clues about development and its evolution.
4 opinions for It’s All in the Yeast
M'sDad
Oct 16, 2007 at 12:10 am
Indeed, though — at the risk of this being pointed to as yet another parent succumbing to DAN quackery — we have repeatedly seen M’s ability to focus, ability to sleep, ability to self-regulate, ability to communicate, improve when on a course of anti-fungals. It’s happened too often — and has begun and faded too much “in sync” with the course of the medication — for us to consider it entirely coincidental. So while I wouldn’t in any way go with the idea that yeast (candida or otherwise) “causes” autism, in M’s specific case it does appear to exacerbate the inability to self-regulate, etc.
Or maybe the anti-fungal in question is having an effect on something *besides* yeast (also entirely possible). Go figure. At any rate, having started a course a few days ago, and after a couple of “die-off” days, these last two days have been the most calm, (ostensibly) happy, communicative, focused etc for M in about as long as I can remember.
We’ll take it, yeast or not.
Kristina Chew, PhD
Oct 16, 2007 at 12:19 am
Charlie took Culturelle (lactabacillus) capsules until last year—he had been taking them since he was 3 and took Nystatin as part of an anti-fungal treatment. It does seem an overstatement to attribute candida as a “cause” of autism……. We found ourselves at a falafel restaurant last night and Charlie enjoyed the pitas and was fine afterwards, despite the wheat.
Hope M’s calmness, communicativeness and focus continue. I’ll also note, I still remember what not to eat on an anti-fungal diet and unconsciously may avoid a lot of those things.
passionlessDrone
Oct 16, 2007 at 1:08 pm
Hello friends -
I saw a very fascinating Nova on aging a while ago; one of the small segments concerned a longevity gene that has been found in nearly all creatures (I think?), from yeast to human. It turns out, when these genes are expressed it can lead to greatly increased lifespans in yeast, and other more complex animals for which studies have been completed.
Strangely enough, it seems that this gene can be expressed under circumstances of extreme calorie reduction; essentially the body gets tough at a cellular level in times of need. Other studies have shown that greatly reduced calorie diets (i.e., 30% less than RDA) have led to increased lifespans for lab animals in many studies.
What I found most interesting is that it speaks towards our common single cellular ancestors; I cannot remember if they specifically said anything about not finding it in some places, but yeast, humans, fruit flies and plenty in between all seem to have the gene.
Take care!
- pD
The New McCarthyism
Oct 28, 2007 at 1:35 am
[…] as “a” or “the” cause of autism, the gluten-free casein-free diet, yeast—all theories and potential remedies that have been the talk of autism parents for at least […]
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