Autism Through a Functional Medicine Lens

A Story About the Gut, the Brain, and the Hidden Root Causes No One Talks About

In this deeply moving episode of the Root Cause CSI Podcast, Joan Lu shares one of her most unforgettable cases: a 75-year-old father, his autistic son, and the generational fears families quietly carry.

This episode looks at autism through a functional medicine lens.

Not just behaviors.

Not just labels.

But the biology underneath:

• Gut health

• Micronutrient deficiencies

• Mitochondrial dysfunction

• Inflammation

• Detoxification challenges

• Environmental sensitivities

You will hear:

• A mother who sensed something deeper was happening with her child

• A father begging for help as his memory declines

• A son afraid of what life will look like without his father

• How anxiety and sensory overwhelm are connected to the body

• The six major biological patterns often seen in autism

• The child’s transformation through functional medicine support

• The emotional moment when both father and son embraced Joan

• How healing restored calm, confidence, and resilience

This episode offers clarity, compassion, and a new understanding of how autism affects not only the child, but the entire family.

If you are a parent, caregiver, educator, or clinician, this conversation will shift the way you see autism and the path forward.

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Begin your child’s healing journey here:

JoanLu.com

(Comprehensive autism functional medicine program)