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Nutritional Treatment in The Dr. Tomato Protocol
03
Nutritional therapy
Nutritional therapy
The limitation of nutritional treatment has already been discussed within the development and aggravation mechanisms of autism. The key is that nutritional loss is an outcome of autism, not a fundamental cause. In this sense, nutritional supplements may do the slightest good but will not produce fundamental betterment.
That is why Dr. Tomato’s protocol avoids the excessive use of nutritional therapies but recommends that they be used to assist the overall treatment at a bare minimum. In particular, I am against directly taking probiotics such as lactobacillus and probiotics like yeast. This might produce temporary effects, but prolonged use tends to induce the proliferation of harmful bacteria. It still remains unknown why this occurs in children with autism, but I recommend that taking lactobacillus or similar be avoided.
Also, it has been repeatedly confirmed that the excessive use of nutritional supplements, such as supplements to boost detoxification, amino acids, and B vitamins, puts a burden on the liver in children with autism. I have witnessed countless cases where children on both Korean herbal medicine and nutritional therapies exhibited elevated liver panel results. These were stabilized by stopping the nutritional supplements while maintaining Korean herbal medicine. Indeed, autistic children have a weaker ability for detoxification. In particular, I believe using nutritional supplements made from chemicals puts more of a burden on the liver than using natural medicinal herbs. For this reason, the Dr. Tomato protocol bans using nutritional supplements such as amino acids and detoxication.
Principles of Dr. Tomato’s Nutritional Therapy
Nutritional supplements used in the Dr. Tomato protocol are as essential as Korean herbal medicines. Korean herbal medicine treatment has incomparable antiviral effects, but they are not very effective in antimicrobial treatment to regulate the intestinal microbiome, although they can treat mild symptoms. To overcome this, the nutritional therapy used in the Dr. Tomato protocol works adjacently with herbal medicine rather than the nutritional therapy used by functional medicine or DAN doctors. Therefore, those who are on Korean herbal medicines should not take any other nutritional supplements and should follow the nutritional supplement recommendations based on the Dr. Tomato protocol.
The nutritional supplements used in the Dr. Tomato protocol are limited to resolving the cause of autism. First, prebiotics is used to help recover the intestinal microbiome rather than probiotics. Second, nutritional supplements that help with digestion are used to prevent SIBO. Third, nutritional supplements are used to prevent inflammatory reactions in the brain. Fourth, nutritional supplements are used to help restore the damaged autonomic nervous system.
These principles guide nutritional supplements in sequence, with careful attention paid to their effectiveness and side effects before proceeding to the following stages.
Dr. Tomato’s nutritional therapy protocol
Stage
1
Nutritional Supplements
In the first stage, the following nutritional supplements are used.
- Digestive enzymes : Twice daily after lunch and dinner – not after breakfast.
To improve digestion, the Garden of Life Omegazyme is recommended. No digestive enzymes for children should be used as they contain loads of sugar additives. Use half or one-third of the dose of the adult’s digestive enzyme. For breakfast, use dietary fibers. No digestive enzymes should be taken to ensure they arrive in the large intestine without being digested.
- Inulin : Take once a day in the morning. Dissolve ½ teaspoon in Korean herbal medicine. The dose may be increased, but this amount will suffice.
Inulin, a nondigestible prebiotic, is very effective in restoring the intestinal microbiome by reducing harmful bacteria. When taking inulin, the child may experience rebounds and look blank in the early stages, but this indicates excellent effectiveness. It will disappear over a two-week period. Now Foods’ certified organic inulin is recommended.
- Omega 3 (DHA 500) : Take one capsule every morning.
For younger children, break the capsule to use the oil only; otherwise, they may swallow it. The general effect is that it should alleviate autoimmune inflammation in the central nervous system. The DHA content should be at least 500. Individually packed products are recommended. Now Foods’ DHA-500 is recommended.
Taking other oils will maximize the effect. Combine with extra virgin olive oil, MCT oil, hemp oil, etc., to help with anti-inflammation, antioxidation, and antibacterial effects to protect and recover the central nervous system.
Stage
2
Nutritional Supplements
After two weeks of stage 1 nutritional supplements, proceed to the next stage if there are no unusual side effects or problems. The nutritional supplements to be taken in the second stage are magnesium and vitamin B6. This combination is applied for autism treatment and has been clinically proven in the USA. It is also the most effective and reproducible nutritional supplement identified to date. It is widely known that magnesium and B6 serve as catalysts for various metabolic processes. However, what is unique about them in autism treatment is that they have autonomic nervous system regulation effects.
The most important expected outcome is alleviating chronic fear commonly observed among children with autism and helping them sleep better. In addition, it softens the stool and increases the frequency of defecation, thereby fundamentally preventing constipation. This process protects the brain nerves by discharging the toxic substances emitted by harmful bacteria in the intestine. Ultimately, using magnesium helps the autonomic nervous system recover and serves as the last resort for brain defense. In this process, clear eye contact and increases in speech are signs of betterment.
It is recommended to use chelated magnesium that offers better absorption. I recommend the 100mg Magnesium Complex from Source Naturals. For better effects, use megadoses of magnesium. The dose limit is six tablets a day, and the dose should be increased so that diarrhea is not severe. Start with taking one tablet three times a day, one tablet per intake. After one week, increase the dose to 1.5 tablets if the child does not suffer extreme diarrhea. After another week, increase the amount to two tablets, three times a day, unless the child experiences diarrhea twice or more daily. Take 100 mg of B6 every morning. It is advised to take it in the morning, as evening administration may hinder sleep. No dose increases apply to B6. Keep taking one tablet a day.
Stage
3
nutritional supplements
The last nutritional supplement to use is TMG. Proceeding to stage 3 nutritional therapy requires prudent judgment. Nutritional supplements used in stages 1 and 2 are very safe and hardly cause side effects. However, the use of TMG, despite the more excellent expected positive impact, may be accompanied by severe side effects. To avoid this, the child’s sensory disorder should be fully stabilized before using TMG.
In other words, the child should have stable and regular eye contact and non-verbal communication abilities. Using stages 1, 2, and 3 prescriptions of Korean herbal medicine will suffice to stabilize the sensory disorder in two or three months. Once the sensory condition stabilizes, the child will improve eye contact and communication. TMG use should be reserved until this point to avoid side effects. More than 50% will experience side effects if using it with the sensory disorder remaining.
The most frequent side effect caused by TMG is insomnia. The child will have difficulties falling asleep, and waking up frequently during the night. The child may experience this in the early stages, but it may disappear in one or two weeks; hence two-week follow-up observations are recommended. If the child shows a marked sleep disorder, stage 3 nutritional therapy should be stopped. The second side effect is a tendency to be stirred emotionally, hence distraction and emotionally aggressive reactions. In this case, the dose should be reduced or stopped.
TMG is thought to improve blood circulation in the cerebral cortex, raising and normalizing brain pressure. When brain pressure is normalized, the child will show improved cognitive activities and stable increases in lingual attempts. In this sense, it is essential for treatment in nonverbal autistic children. Failure to control these side effects may result in serious degeneration. The use of TMG should be based on an expert’s advice.
To reduce the side effects, it is recommended to use a TMG with folinic acid and methyl B-12. I recommend Kirkman Labs’ products. Use it in the morning to avoid sleep disturbance. Start with one tablet morning intake, pay attention to effects and side effects, and increase the dose every two weeks up to four tablets. In this course, find the right moments to maximize the impact with minimum side effects.
If not responding to TMG and experiencing side effects, the child might react to DMG. However, in my clinical experience, TMG has worked far better for more than 80% of the children. It is recommended to use TMG first and then consider using DMG as needed.
Antibiotic therapy – use of Rifaximin
If the ketogenic diet and the stage 2 nutritional treatment do not stabilize sensory disorder, it is time to consider antibiotic therapy using Rifaximin. This means that Korean herbal medicine and dietary therapies alone are insufficient to curb the rapid increase in intestinal bacterial flora. In this case, the repeated use of Rifaximin often caters to the immediate stabilization of sensory disorders.
Rifaximin is not observed in the vasculature, so it is safe from system side effects. Non-absorption into the vasculature also means that it can be used for a prolonged period with no burden on the liver. In many cases, using Rifaximin reduces the overall number of bacterial flora, hence resulting in the stabilization of sensory disorders overall. Therefore, Rifaximin should be positively considered if sensory disorder treatment becomes stagnant.
There are many protocols for using Rifaximin. Dr. Tomato advocates for Dr. Nemechek’s regimen, i.e., taking for 10 days followed by a 20-day break, continuously for one year.
Chelation therapy
I do not believe that mercury poisoning is the cause of autism. However, as the degenerative exacerbation of autism progresses, it seems clear that the liver’s metabolic ability is weakened, and the heavy metal excretion function in the body is lowered. For this reason, chelation therapy is a helpful treatment for autistic children. However, restoring healthy chelation function in autistic children is only possible by improving the autoimmune system. In other words, a treatment that fundamentally restores the chelation function is required rather than just chelation therapy.
The herbal medicine prescribed by Dr. Tomato strengthens the heavy metal excretion function through insensitivity evaporation, that is, the chelation function. The herbal medicine helps to stabilize the autoimmune reaction and enable the chelation function independently. However, complete recovery may be delayed if autistic regression continues for an extended period. If the recovery of the autonomic nervous system is delayed and psychological disorders such as sleep disorders or anxiety disorders persist, chelation therapy must be implemented. However, a very low-dose chelator should be used for a short period of around 6 months. It is also recommended to proceed under the guidance of a doctor, as it may strain the liver or kidneys.
