Health
Experts Doubt Kennedy’s Timetable for Finding the Cause of Autism
Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the nation’s health secretary, pledged on Thursday to seek out experts globally to discover the reasons for the increasing rates of autism in the United States.
“We’ve launched a massive testing and research effort that’s going to involve hundreds of scientists from around the world,” Mr. Kennedy announced at a cabinet meeting held by President Trump. “By September, we will know what has caused the autism epidemic and we’ll be able to eliminate those exposures.”
“There will be no bigger news conference than that,” Mr. Trump replied.
But scientists who have worked for decades to find a cause greeted Mr. Kennedy’s predicted timeline with skepticism.
They said that a single answer would be hard to identify in a field of possible contributors including pesticides, air pollution and maternal diabetes.
Dr. Philip Landrigan, a pediatrician and expert on environmental toxins, pointed to the current mass layoffs and cutbacks for research at Mr. Kennedy’s Department of Health and Human Services as one reason for doubting such quick progress.
“Given that a great deal of research on autism and other pediatric diseases in hospitals and medical schools is currently coming to a halt because of federal funding cuts from H.H.S.,” he said, “it is very difficult for me to imagine what profound scientific breakthrough could be achieved between now and September.”
Mr. Kennedy’s office did not offer many details on the plan. Later on Thursday, Mr. Kennedy revealed a few more clues, saying that the National Institutes of Health would lead the effort.
He said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would soon release data showing that the autism diagnoses had now increased to one of every 31 children. Many scientists and doctors attributed the rise in autism rates over the last several decades in part to growing awareness of the disorder and to expanded diagnoses along a spectrum.
“We are launching requests to scientists from all over the country and all over the world,” Mr. Kennedy said in an interview on Fox News. “Everything is on the table: our food system, our water, our air, different ways of parenting, all the kind of changes that may have triggered this epidemic.”
In the interview, Mr. Kennedy also said an important part of the effort would be to compare autism rates in vaccinated and unvaccinated children. It’s an angle that many scientists dismiss, saying that parents who vaccinate their children are also more likely to get a diagnosis, given higher rates of interaction with health providers.
Many scientists who have observed Mr. Kennedy’s dogged opposition to many vaccines over two decades — and his frequent attempts to tie autism to vaccines — have dismissed his claims, citing the scientific consensus that debunked any such link. Scrutiny of his pledges to begin “gold standard” research only heightened in recent weeks when David Geier, a largely discredited researcher, was hired at H.H.S. to study any potential link between vaccines and autism.
Irva Hertz-Picciotto, director of environmental epidemiology of neurodevelopment at the University of California at Davis MIND Institute, said she had been seeking a cause for autism for 20 years.
It’s an exciting time for the field, she said, with multiple studies beginning to point to factors that could play a role. Among the possible links are pesticide exposure through food or nearby agricultural fields; workplace exposures to solvents; fevers or infections during pregnancy; maternal diabetes; and exposure to chemicals in plastics called phthalates or to PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” for their tendency to persist in the environment.
Some studies have found that the effect of environmental exposures can vary based on a person’s genes, “emphasizing the complexity of this syndrome.” Dr. Hertz-Picciotto said it was challenging to get funding for clinical studies that could shed light on a cause of autism, but new research could help advance the field. Those studies, though, could take years.
That all of the research could be sorted out by September, she said, was “ludicrous.”
Dr. Alice Kuo, the chief of pediatric medicine who cares for children and adults with autism at the University of California, Los Angeles, said she was involved in a yearslong project by the National Institutes of Health called the National Children’s Study. It followed thousands of children and parents and elicited information, including the possible causes of autism. The study was costly and ended far earlier than planned, Dr. Kuo said.
She said an effort to do something as rigorous would take months to plan and design — and years to arrive at an answer.
In a social media post on Thursday, Mr. Kennedy recognized the assistance of the president and the Make America Healthy Again Commission — a subgroup of the cabinet that includes Linda McMahon, the education secretary, and Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget. Like Mr. Kennedy, they are not doctors or scientists.
“Thanks to your MAHA Commission, we’ll soon identify the root causes of the autism epidemic,” Mr. Kennedy wrote in a social media post.
Created by an executive order in February, the commission is charged with assessing in 100 days the threat to children of food ingredients, chemicals, medications and other exposures. Within 180 days, the commission is expected to submit a strategy to the president to address its findings.
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Growing observational research suggests that long-term dietary patterns may influence Parkinson’s risk, age at onset and possibly severity of symptoms.
Mediterranean-style eating, in particular, has been associated with lower risk and possibly milder disease.
That said, there isn’t a single food that causes or prevents disease, according to Dr. Michael S. Valdez, a California-based physician with advanced training in neurology.
Growing observational research suggests that long-term dietary patterns may influence Parkinson’s risk, age at onset and possibly severity of symptoms. (iStock)
“When we talk about Parkinson’s and similar conditions, it helps to zoom out,” he told Fox News Digital. “In many cases, it’s the overall pattern over years that matters.”
The brain is especially sensitive to chronic inflammation, oxidative stress and vascular health, which is how well blood flows to brain tissue, according to the doctor.
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“Another key point is that neurodegenerative diseases develop slowly,” Valdez pointed out. “Changes in movement or cognition often appear years after underlying changes in the brain have already started.”
“That means lifestyle factors, including diet, are part of a much larger timeline that also includes genetics, environmental exposures, sleep and physical activity.”
Foods that could delay disease
No. 1: Mediterranean and MIND diets
Dr. Rebecca Gilbert, a seasoned neurologist and the chief mission officer at the American Parkinson Disease Association in New York, confirmed that the best foods for brain health are those that make up the MIND or Mediterranean diets.
“These diets emphasize whole grains, vegetables (especially green leafy vegetables), nuts, legumes and berries,” Gilbert told Fox News Digital. “Fish is the preferred animal protein, and olive oil is the preferred fat.”
Mediterranean-style eating, in particular, has been associated with lower risk and possibly milder disease. (iStock)
Studies have suggested that among those diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, adherence to the MIND or Mediterranean diets prior to diagnosis was associated with later onset of the disease, according to the doctor.
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“These diets are good for the brain because they are rich in antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory nutrients that keep neurons healthy,” she said. “The diets also support clean blood vessels to the brain, which provide adequate blood flow containing the nutrients and oxygen that neurons need.”
No. 2: Flavonoid-rich foods
“Blueberries, strawberries, apples, tea and red wine in moderation have been associated with lower PD risk in large cohorts,” Amanda Hare, an expert nurse practitioner in the field of neurology and movement disorders, who is also a medical liaison at Rune Labs, told Fox News Digital.
The South Carolina-based expert cited a Harvard study that found men with the highest flavonoid intake had about 40% lower disease risk.
“A responsible expert would place diet in that broader context rather than overselling any single food.”
“Anthocyanins — the pigments in red/purple berries — are the subclass with the most consistent signal,” she said. “These compounds have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and may cross the blood-brain barrier.”
No. 3: Coffee and caffeinated tea
Large studies have shown that regular coffee consumption is associated with lower Parkinson’s risk, according to Hare, although a direct cause can’t be proven.
Caffeine has been found to protect brain cells in animal studies by blocking a specific brain receptor called the adenosine A2A receptor, she said.
“The effect is stronger in men; hormone therapy appears to modify it in women,” Hare added.
Scientists have found early signs of the disease — clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein — in the nerves of the digestive system. (iStock)
No. 4: Fatty fish and omega-3 sources
“Evidence is more suggestive than definitive, but diets higher in omega-3s – salmon, sardines, mackerel, walnuts and flaxseed – correlate with lower risk and may support general neuronal health,” Hare said.
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No. 5: Fiber and fermented foods
In some cases, Parkinson’s pathology may begin in the gut, and gastrointestinal symptoms, such as constipation, can precede diagnosis, experts agree.
Scientists have found early signs of the disease — clumps of a protein called alpha-synuclein — in the nerves of the digestive system.
Large studies have shown that regular coffee consumption is associated with lower Parkinson’s risk, according to Hare, although a direct cause can’t be proven. (iStock)
“Constipation is one of the strongest prodromal symptoms, often predating diagnosis by a decade or more,” Hare told Fox News Digital.
“Diets supporting a diverse gut microbiome – high fiber, fermented foods like yogurt, kefir, sauerkraut and kimchi – are an active research area, though we don’t yet have randomized trial evidence that changing your microbiome changes Parkinson’s risk.”
Foods associated with higher risk
No. 1: Dairy (particularly milk)
“This is a consistent but still-debated finding,” Hare said. “Multiple large cohorts have found that higher milk consumption is associated with modestly elevated PD risk, particularly in men.”
The signal is specific to milk, she noted, as cheese and yogurt don’t show the same consistent association.
Recent research, including the Nurses’ Health Study in 2025, has linked high ultraprocessed food intake to higher odds of early Parkinson’s symptoms. (iStock)
No. 2: Ultraprocessed foods
Recent research, including the Nurses’ Health Study in 2025, has linked high ultraprocessed food intake to higher odds of early Parkinson’s symptoms. This supports broader evidence of processed foods’ association with systemic inflammation, Hare noted.
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No. 3: Pesticide exposure via diet
Exposure to paraquat and rotenone, which are toxic chemicals often used as pesticides, are among the strongest environmental risk factors for Parkinson’s, according to Hare.
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“Eating organic produce when possible … is a reasonable precaution, though the bulk of pesticide risk in the Parkinson’s literature relates to occupational exposure, not dietary,” she noted.
No. 4: Excess saturated fat and red/processed meat
“Associations exist, but are less robust than the dairy or ultraprocessed findings,” Hare said.
There are some limitations and caveats for all of these dietary risk associations, she noted.
“Associations exist, but are less robust than the dairy or ultraprocessed findings,” the expert said about red meat consumption. (iStock)
“Epidemiology does not equal causation,” she emphasized. “Nearly all of the above comes from observational studies.”
Lifestyle behaviors can also come into play – people who eat Mediterranean diets, for example, also exercise more, smoke less and have more resources.
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“Diet is one lever among several,” Hare noted. “Exercise has stronger evidence than any food for both preventing Parkinson’s and slowing progression. Sleep quality, cognitive engagement and avoidance of head injury also matter.”
“A responsible expert would place a diet in that broader context rather than overselling any single food.”
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