Enhansa Curcumin Supplement Helping Families Treating Autism
By Kim Stagliano
You've seen the ads for Enhansa, enhanced absorption curcumin supplement from Lee Silsby on Age of Autism and other blogs. (Curcumin has known health benefits, you can read some "mainstream" info here.)
We use Enhansa, and we've seen results in each of the girls. One of my daughters' reading level has advanced from second grade to fourth grade during the school year. Another is clearly more aware of her surroundings and participating with the family. The other day she grabbed her sister's hand and said, "Come on!" after pretty much ignoring her sibling since her birth. Receptive speech and ability to follow directions has leaped in one of my darlings too. Click below the jump for several testimonials from Enhansa users. If you have a story to share, leave a comment.
I've also found a novel use for Enhansa, sure to set Lee Silsby Pharmacist and owner Alan Israel's hair on fire.
I was desperate for a new dinner choice for the kids. Something I could make in large batches and freeze. I'm so tired of cooking every meal from scratch! We're gluten free, casein free, soy free, artificial color and flavors free, blah blah blah. You know the drill, friends. And money is always tight, so I try to make economical meals. (We've had a long 18 months in the Stagliano household. My husband lost his job twice in 2008. That was fun. NOT.)
I wanted to make macaroni and cheese. With hot dogs in it. Me, the Italian cook ready to whip up GF eggplant parm or a pan of meatballs and gravy wanted to make good old fashioned American comfort food. I boiled up Trader Joe's organic brown rice pasta and their preservative free hot dogs. I whipped up a blender full of extra thick DariFree. I used GF flour to thicken the sauce, added salt and pepper and took one look at the sickly white "cheese" and said, "Yuck. This doesn't look like mac and cheese."
My eyes darted to the supplement bags on the counter. "Hmmm, Enhansa is bright orange." EUREKA! Since curcumin is the component of the spice turmeric and the color is just right for mac and cheese, I opened the powder jar and added some to the sauce. Perfect.
I cut the hot dogs into small slices, mixed up the macaroni and sauce, crushed a bag of organic sea salt brown rice chips and sprinkled them on top for a crunchy topping and baked a pan. The kids devoured it and were probably shocked to have a food so "normal" looking on their plates.
Here are some testimonials from the Lee Silsby site on more traditional usage. You can read more testimonials HERE.
One of my autistic clients has been using Enhansa for 2 months now. His cognition has gone through the roof, as has his speech, and social skills. He has been on nystatin long-term for chronic yeast issues, and for the first time, his yeast numbers have decreased WITHOUT the use of antifungal agents. His parents are thrilled with his progress, as am I.
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FYI, I just started using your Enhansa with my son as his IL-8 was severely elevated. On a scale of less than 24 being normal, his was a 275! Curcumin is said to lower this inflammatory marker. He is responding beautifully to the Enhansa. He’s a big kid (about 120lbs) and takes 600mg, 2x a day. It’s a very exciting and much needed product for ASD kids. Love love love the stuff. Thank you for recognizing the need for it.
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Just wanted to post how we are doing on Enhansa. We started out per the instructions at 150mg and my kids had a huge reaction. We backed off and restarted at 75mg and they did much better. [He had some rashes, some blisters and low grade fevers] and then an explosion in speech!! He is even talking to peers in class and making small talk! He even told off his teacher the other day for telling him no! (She gave him a time out but said she was secretly so thrilled!) He is caught up to age level in speech and is at a 5 year old level in motor skills!! His teachers report that he has friends and they said the kids love him and he is very popular. Enhansa has been awesome for his viral issues and yeast too.
Kim Stagliano is Managing Editor of Age of Autism.
The treatment category is sponsored by Lee Silsby, the leader in quality compounded medications for autism.
Is enhansa still effective with heat? If i used it with seasonings and then baked it would it still work the same way?
Posted by: britney | May 13, 2018 at 03:02 AM
Just wondering if the gains faded once you stopped?
Posted by: Marie | July 10, 2017 at 04:54 PM
Can I use enhancer for my autistic son of 23years of age? What dosage
Posted by: Coker T | January 21, 2017 at 06:30 PM
Very nice post admin! you have shared kind information and my little sister also loves Enhansa supplement behind caps :)
Posted by: Xtremdiet | October 08, 2013 at 05:26 AM
My son is much more alert and in the present when he is on Enhansa. I've also tried combining it with lysamine and virastop and noticed a big improvement. When he's not on these supplements, my son regresses back to scripting, hyperactivity and silliness. Enhansa is a staple for us. It's hitting something (inflammation) because I see the positive effect.
Posted by: Sarah | March 14, 2011 at 03:03 PM
Hi, you'll need to talk to your healthcare practitioner or nutritionist - we can't offer dosing advice. Thank you.
Posted by: Managing Editor | March 14, 2011 at 12:38 PM
I was wondering if you could tell me if I am able to give my son Enhansa while he is on Yeast Aid by Kirkman and Diflucan. He has made tremendous gains, but he keeps catching colds now. This coming from a child who hasn't been "sick" in the past year. It makes me think that his immune system is starting to function better but the colds make him miserable. I was wanting to try adding Enhansa since it is an anti-viral. He is almost five and about 35 lbs.
Posted by: Sarah | March 14, 2011 at 12:17 PM
Can anyone give me advice on how to give this to my 3 yr old son? We started Enhansa today (powder form) and he is gagging at it. I put it in some jelly....I am worried b/c day one is just a small scoop. And we have to work up to one large scoop!! HELP!!
Posted by: Heather Clark | November 10, 2010 at 06:49 PM
You should really talk to her doctor about it; he/she would be the best one to determine if it is right for her and to monitor use and recommend dosage based on body weight. As for the testing, if your daughter has been diagnosed and your doctor has never ordered any sort of biomedical testing, you might want to look into finding a doctor in your area who specializes in this.
Posted by: Garbo | February 04, 2010 at 07:15 PM
My 3 year old daughter has mild autism. I am not sure if she has yeast or not. Do I need to go for some medical test to make sure she has yeast. I am not sure if I should try enhansa. Does it have any side effects. What dosage is recommended if it is safe to use.
Posted by: Brandon | February 04, 2010 at 06:12 PM
when people give testimonials, it's important to include the age the age of the child as this helps other parents make the necessary correlations. A 3 year old may respond differently from a 6 year old
Posted by: Kay | December 30, 2009 at 03:22 PM
I just started my 3 year old daughter on Enhansa. I saw some viral die-off at first (hives/rashes). We are up to 3 white scoops and she just seems happier. She has never had any speech, but this kind of gives me hope because her vowel and constinent strings are much more complex now.
I just wanted parents to be aware as well of the testing that is available for your children. Speaking from recent personal experience, a bit of urine can go a long way! Stool and urine samples showed the amounts and types of yeast infesting my daughters GI. However, after a year of doing a GFCF soy and yeast free diet, IgG allergy AND urine peptide test show she had NO allergies OR intolerances to ANY of these foods except yeast. Heed my advice if you do take these tests though, remove your child from the diet 2wks prior, doctors have recommended otherwise.
Her amino acids and organic acids test revealed bad levels of B vitamins. We had had her on the MB12 injection which was hard to administer and tough to not get too far into her buttocks, and THANK GOODNESS for Lee Silsby having a transdermal cream to replace the hard-to-administer shot! My daughter is now only on a few supplements of GREAT quality thanks to LS. Before she had been on over a DOZEN!
I am hopeful to see some great results from Enhansa as other parents have. I was curious though, have any parents out there seen good results on Methyl B12?
Posted by: Kay | August 29, 2009 at 10:36 AM
mY MOTHER USED CURCUMIN WHEN SHE HAD MYELOMA..IT, i THINK HELPED HER LIVE ANOTHER COUPLE OF YEARS LONGER...MANY STUDIES THAT IT KILLS MYELOMA CANCER CELLS.
Posted by: Kathy Blanco | August 17, 2009 at 10:36 PM
We buy several products from Silsby including trans-dermal glutithione,trans-dermal b-6, subcutaneous b-12 and enhansa. We are highly satisfied with all of them. I just want people here to know they are a good company to deal with. We started using them because the b-12 was cheaper than the other pharmacies we used and checked into. We apparently threw out part of our last order but we thought we didn't get it. When we called them they explained how it was packed and then shipped us the product no charge and no hassle. A company run like that will have us as a customer as long as our son needs the items they sell.
I've seen posts by Silsby people here so I know they actually read this blog and I want to thank them for sponsoring this site. I swear the posts and articles here are all that hold me together some days and it helps me stay engaged in the battle to recover my vaccine injured son. Bless you all.
Posted by: sarahsam | August 15, 2009 at 02:27 AM
Can anyone answer this- Has anyone tried just using the original turmeric to see if they get the same results?
Posted by: Cherry Sperlin Misra | August 14, 2009 at 02:04 PM
I thought of you today, Kim, when I read a story in the paper called "The Mars menu: This is not Buzz Aldrin's astronaut food" which began:
"NASA must provide the crew with some 20,000 meals -- light, with a shelf life of five years. Scientists are experimenting with packaging and preservation, but so far, mac and cheese is out.
"Reporting from Houston - Michele Perchonok sat contemplating a shrink-wrapped brick of freeze-dried mac and cheese just outside the test kitchen at NASA's Johnson Space Center.
"The dish has been served countless times on the space shuttle and International Space Station. When astronauts are so far from home, this is the comfort food they crave.
"But this particular entree won't be on the menu when astronauts blast off for Mars, scheduled for some time about 2030. The see-through package isn't impervious to moisture and oxygen, so the pasta could spoil before it can be eaten. Simple alternatives, like foil packages, are out of the question: They are too heavy.
"'We'd like to have that solved by 2015 or 2016," said Perchonok, NASA's manager of advanced food technology.'"
With your proven track record on mac & cheese troubleshooting, Kim, clearly NASA needs your help on this project!
On second thought, your daughters and readers need you more!
Very cute article -- Julia Child has nothing on you!
Posted by: Twyla | August 13, 2009 at 10:51 PM
I just wanted to say thanks to Lee Silsby and Dr. DeMio for this great product.... :-) We have been using Enhansa since it first came out and have seen nothing but huge gains from it. It was made even sweeter when our insurance starting covering it!
The first week we used Enhansa we saw some sort of weird viral die-off followed by great gains, better, more complex speech, improved comprehension, and more!
Posted by: Jessica | August 13, 2009 at 09:56 PM
Hello Everyone!
My name is Alex and I work at Lee Silsby and Ourkidsasd.com
I have a helpful hint for all you Enhansa users: the yellow/orange stain that the Enhansa powder and capsules leaves behind can be removed with just a little bit of rubbing alcohol.
Honestly, one of the most common calls I take at Lee Silsby is "how to get the stain off of the counter tops" haha!
So just a little rubbing alcohol will do, you can put it on a paper towel and rub the stain off of your fingers as well.
Best wishes to all you Autism Parents!
Alexandra Cyr
Posted by: Alexandra Cyr | August 13, 2009 at 08:13 PM
Thank you Kim! These are the stories we need. Since mainstream medicine stopped taking our experiences and respecting our parental observations we are left with telling one another what supplements/meds/therapies/etc have helped and what specifically they helped with. All of our kids are entirely different and I crave the knowledge of other parents to share their experiences.
You aren't saying this is the "miracle pill" and you better head out to try it. You are saying specifically what it has helped for each one of your girls individually.
Personal experiences with specifics is a gift of knowledge to personally apply to my son or not, it's a gift of knowledge I treasure and my son has more than benefitted from over the years.
Posted by: Allison | August 13, 2009 at 10:41 AM
Enhansa is a great product, but there are other products with what I believe, IMO, is the same active ingredient of BCM-95 enhansed absorption curcumin on the market, such as Life Extension Super Bio-Curcumin, for a fraction of the cost.
Posted by: DABAXTER | August 13, 2009 at 07:58 AM
Have to love it when those test kitchen experiments pan out. Also loving Enhansa and loving that my military insurance (TRICARE) covers the cost as an Rx. Adeline and the folks at Lee Silsby Rock!
Posted by: mlinn | August 13, 2009 at 12:43 AM
Hi Kim!
Love the mac & cheese idea. You are brilliant!
We did Enhansa for a month and I honestly think it did something amazing for my son. I ran out of our bottle but am looking forward to saving up to get another one.
I blogged our experiences with Enhansa on my blog (http://gfcfblog.blogspot.com). Here are the direct links, although I'm not sure they'll turn into hyperlinks or not?
Week 1: http://gfcfblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/enhansa1.html
Week 2: http://gfcfblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/enhansa2.html
Week 3: http://gfcfblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/enhansa3.html
Week 4: http://gfcfblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/enhansa4.html
Hope these help somebody out there!
Tori Tuncan
Posted by: Tori Tuncan | August 13, 2009 at 12:21 AM
I have been using enhansa since December with fantastic results. It is on the expensive side but if I run out my daughter loses ground.
We have seen more speech, awareness and cognition. It works well for yeast but for us we have also had to use other things to help keep yeast at bay. I feel our biggest benefit is as an anti inflammatory.
Posted by: chloesmom | August 13, 2009 at 12:18 AM
Hi Kim,
THANK YOU for sharing this information regarding Enhansa. Today I was on the Our Kids ASD website ordering more Houston TriEnza enzymes which have been working so much better than the other enzymes we were using, and I read all of the information regarding Enhansa including the studies, and the testimonials. I saved everything in a document for future reference so that I could consider this further. As we know there are so many products available and it gets overwhelming in making choices. Thanks to your article I am ordering this tomorrow for my grandson and I am going to try this myself as well.
Here is some basic info that is quite impressive to me:
http://www.leesilsby.com/enhansamain.php
Enhansa Has Been Shown to be 7 - 8 More Absorbed Than Standard Curcumin Extracts
Enhansa may be covered by insurance if a prescription is provided
Clinically Proven Benefits of Curcumin
Increases levels of Glutathione within the cell
Reduces levels of nearly every inflammatory cytokine found to be elevated in Autism
Improves liver detoxification
Chelates Lead and Cadmium and protects brain and body from damage caused by Mercury
Anti-Viral
Anti-Fungal
Decreases levels of oxidized (GSSG) Glutathione. Oxidized Glutathione has been found to be elevated in Autism.
Potent PPAR Gamma Agonist
NF-Kappa B inhibitor
Enhansa is SCD-legal, gluten-free, casein-free, soy-free, sugar-free, yeast-free, corn-free, and egg-free
Enhansa (Enhanced Absorption Curcumin Supplement) Dosing Protocol
Because Enhansa has powerful effects, it is best to start at a low dose and gradually increase the dose over several weeks.
When taking Enhansa, it is common to experience flu-like symptoms, rashes, regression, yeast die-off, and viral die-off reactions. Depending on the health status of the user, these symptoms can last for several weeks.
It is very important that these symptoms should not be viewed as negative outcome. Instead, these symptoms should be viewed in a positive light. The symptoms are a result of an immune system that is "waking up" and beginning to fight off viruses, yeast, and other pathogens. The symptoms are usually strongest when first starting Enhansa, but can temporarily resurface each time the dosage of Enhansa is increased.
It is best not to decrease the dosage upon experiencing negative symptoms. The proper protocol is to stay at a particular dosage until the worst of the symptoms subside. After the symptoms subside, the dosage can be increased.
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I think it is important for anyone who is going to try this to go on the website and pay attention to the DOSING PROTOCOL recommendations there.
Thank you again for sharing this story with us all!!!!
Posted by: Autism Grandma | August 12, 2009 at 09:59 PM
Actually, I was kind of relieved at the price of the Enhansa - I think it is comparable to some of the other supplements we've purchased. When we first called LS I held my breath when I asked the pharmacy technician the price (I was worried it would be well over $100). Plus the LS rep was kind enough to see if my insurance company would cover the script (they didn't), but then they let me use the coupon from A of A - see the side of the screen for different offers from them. We've been dealing with LS for less than 2 months - but everyone I have talked to there has been extremely nice and helpful. Keeping my fingers crossed we'll see good results like some of you have mentioned...
Posted by: Melissa D | August 12, 2009 at 09:27 PM
I can't say how much Enhansa has helped our family. We battled yeast for so long, and every time we stopped prescription antifungals, it came back. This time, we started Enhansa right at the end, and it's been close to six months now.
He is gfcfsfef etc. and such a picky eater. So, it's nice not to have anything that could possibly feed yeast. Now, when he laughs riotously, it's because he's GETTING THE JOKES not because he's spaced out because of yeast.
After 5 long years of biomed, I finally feel like we are getting our son back!
Posted by: Renee | August 12, 2009 at 07:37 PM
Another way to try out curcumin, as a dip-your-toe-in-the-water thing, is just to make curry at home.
It's simple. Use Campbell's cream of chicken soup (or something better, if you can find it) thin w-cream make 'sauce'. Add curry powder, maybe more than one kind.
What goes in curry? Shrimp. OR chicken. OR pork cubes. Or just vegetarian.
Pineapple, bell pepper, onion, snow peas, or use your imagination.
I think they say curcumin has to be in pill form; I'm not at all sure about that. But curry makes a good dinner and can have (or not have) all sorts of things in it. Versatile. Kids like it mild usually . . .
Posted by: pfj | August 12, 2009 at 06:08 PM
We got great results from Enhansa.. it as like my son woke up. After I started giving it to him, I remember him running into the living room, he looked and pointed at me excitedly and yelled "Mommy!" then pointed to my husband and yelled "Daddy!". It may not seem like much but it was like a light switch was turned on ... at that moment he had emerged from the fog.
Posted by: Sarah | August 12, 2009 at 04:25 PM
Hi, Ms. Neary, and thanks for commenting. Endorsement to me implies that I am receiving personal benefit/payment from Lee Silsby for writing about their product. I am not, and I am clear that they do sponsor our site. I began working with LS in 2000, long before I wrote my first word. I tried Enhansa for girls with no recommendation or encouragement from Lee Silsby - and I am using so few supplements right now, I feel confident telling our readers our results and sharing my silly cooking story.
Yes, some "autism" products are indeed marked way the heck up. However, have you looked at department store makeup prices lately? Same. Drugs that cost $2 a pill in Europe are $10 a pill in the US. Lee Silsby makes an effort to keep prices down - if doctors mark up products once they hit their offices, that's a doc issue.
I appreciate your input - hope to hear from you again.
Best,
KIM
Posted by: Stagmom | August 12, 2009 at 03:57 PM
I am not comfortable with endorsements of for profit products in the editorial section.
Anytime a product has the word "autism" associated with it, it is marked up 300%.
Am I the only one who feels this way?
Posted by: Charmian Neary | August 12, 2009 at 02:03 PM
Kim,
Amazing and creative! I love hearing how your girls are doing. These latest stories are the best. You are an inspiration.
Posted by: Cathy Jameson | August 12, 2009 at 01:53 PM
I make herbal soaps. I have always used it to color my soaps! Coloring soap is usually hard, but this stuff makes beautiful colors of yellow hues! It is also the only thing that is not just pretty but also healthy!
Posted by: Benedetta Stilwell | August 12, 2009 at 01:05 PM
Kim, I have colored foods orange too. We all love curcumin dusted chicken breast on the grill.
sprinkle on chicken breast and grill:
-dry mustard
-curcumin
-pepper
-sea salt
delicious and nutritious!
Posted by: Lisa in Texas | August 12, 2009 at 12:24 PM
One of our DAN doctors speaks with a foreign accent, she also sort of whispers when she talks. She told us to put Ben on Curcumin, but I misunderstood and thought she said Co-Q-10, after a couple of months of the mix up we started Ben on Enhansa Curcumin and ever since then my fingers are constantly stained yellowish orange. It's like a henna tattoo telling the world I'm working at bringing my son back. But of course they are more than likely thinking I smoke a lot of weed. Does it work? Time will tell.
Posted by: bensmyson | August 12, 2009 at 12:15 PM
Thanks for sharing your family's experiences with the Enhansa. Seems to me that the iconic autism puzzle piece symbolizes how nutritional supplements function to build back our children's health, abilities and resulting emotions.
Posted by: nhokkanen | August 12, 2009 at 12:06 PM
Hi, Adam. I hope you aren't cringing! LOL! It does color the food nicely - I must admit. And the results my kids are seeing are encouraging. Thanks for your hard work on behalf of our kids. KIM
Posted by: Stagmom | August 12, 2009 at 11:11 AM
Hi Kim,
A very creative use for Enhansa! I am happy to hear that Enhansa has helped your children. It is has been extremely gratifying to discover all of the positive things that this supplement has done for so many kids on the spectrum. We really enjoy working with all of you families out there.
Thanks,
Adam @ Lee Silsby
Posted by: Adam Israel | August 12, 2009 at 10:56 AM
Kim,
I am also happy for you and your gorgeous and bright girls! I, too am grateful for all the wows, small to big and any in between. These are GREAT positives and awesome to hear about!
Posted by: Teresa Conrick | August 12, 2009 at 09:53 AM