Episode 7: Does fairy dust cause autism?

• Does "Contaminated Water" Cause Autism? (Feb 17, James Heiser, thenewamerican.com) 
• This article is full of ridiculous assumptions, and not all of them are authored by Mr. Heiser.  
• The idea that drinking water effects development is intriguing, especially when you consider the effects of Fluoride and poor quality control regionally.  But, without evidence, the notion that a government official would actually say that there's a possible connection is unbelievably irresponsible.  
• Studies comparing drinking water contamination and incidence rates of autism might guide researchers to understand the effects of artificially introducing chemicals on the evolution of a large population.  
• Fluoride is known to have both positive and negative effects on a large population but is poorly regulated and often found in higher quantities than deemed safe.
• "This past December yet another study was released — the 24th of its sort — indicating that the additive [fluoride] has an adverse effect on the intelligence of children. In a report for the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, Paul Connett, Ph.D. looked at Chinese populations newly exposed to fluoride and found that 28% of the children in the low-fluoride village of Xinhuai (.36 mg/L) were possessed of bright, normal or high intelligence. There, the mental retardation rate was only 6%. Conversely, in the high-fluoride community of Wamaio (2.47 mg/L) only 8% fell into the bright, normal or high intelligence category while mental retardation grew to a staggering 15%."
• But, as is true with the MMR theory, evidence is crucial.  What do we hope to accomplish by blindly blaming toxins without uncovering evidence that will lead to a viable solution?
• Fluoride is known to decrease levels of testosterone and make males more docile.  This is one argument that conspiracy theorists make when explaining why the government puts it in our water supply.  But, there is also evidence pointing to the role that increased levels of testosterone has on the development of ASD.
• Testosterone may bump autism rates in males(Feb 18, Karen Rowen, myhealthnewsdaily.com)
• Genes are like light switches; sometimes, they are linked in series and one needs to be turned on in order for others to be turned on.
• Researchers have found that a gene nicknamed RORA is more likely to be switched on in females than in males and this is due to the amount of testosterone in the fetus' environment
• When RORA is switched on, other genes are able to be switched on.
• RORA has been shown to mitigate the effects of stress on neurons and keep them from becoming inflamed, which is a common attribute among individuals with ASD
• We know that males are more likely to be diagnosed with ASD by a ratio of about 4:1.  Is this because of testosterone levels, Fluoride in our drinking water, or toxins introduced at a very young age?  Could it also be that we have little to no tolerance in our society for stereotypically male behavior like aggression, strong stress reactions, and rigidity in thought?
• Much attention has been drawn to the feminization of American society in recent years
• Is this leading to biased assessment of behavior?
• Do you have asperger's or just a mind of your own?