As autism numbers grow, education researchers are working to find ways to help children diagnosed with autism do better in school. In a remarkable study on how learning to play the drums can help autistic students, researchers found that drumming for just 60 minutes a week not only helped these children learn, but also improved their dexterity, rhythm and timing, as well as their ability to pay attention. Students in the study practiced rock drumming for 30 minutes twice a week for 10 weeks, according to a news release from University of Chichester, where the study was conducted.
It’s always good news when something as simple as learning to play an instrument can so positively affect such a profound disorder as autism. That it didn’t take a chemical to help produce these behaviors is particularly heartening. In this same way, I also find it remarkable that just fixing your gut health can have similar results on a number of health conditions, including autism.
From Lyme disease to multiple sclerosis to cancer, Parkinson’s — and, yes, autism — to dozens of chronic diseases, realigning the state of your gut health has been found helpful time and again. Research even shows that babies with abnormal gut flora have compromised immune systems and are particularly at risk for developing ADHD, autism and learning disabilities, particularly if they are vaccinated while their gut flora is imbalanced.
It is widely known that your gut serves as your second brain, producing more of the neurotransmitter serotonin, which is known to have a more positive influence on your mood than your brain does. This is why it’s so important to look at your gut health along with any other problems you have when you’re trying to get and stay healthy. And the good news about doing so is that, like the simple act of learning to drum, fixing your gut health is easy to do.