The Role of Mitochondria, Gut Health, Exercise, and Inflammation in Autism, and What Parents Can Do To Support Autistic Children with Dr. Suzanne Goh

Dhru Purohit Show

Dhru Purohit

Medicine, Health & Fitness, Alternative Health

4.7 • 3.4K Ratings

🗓️ 14 July 2025

⏱️ 36 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This episode is brought to you by Vuori and Ollie. One in 36 children is diagnosed with autism, and families are often overwhelmed with information but receive little guidance. Today’s guest, Dr. Suzanne Goh, shares her expertise, groundbreaking research, and how it’s transforming the lives of her patients diagnosed with autism. Today on The Dhru Purohit Show, we’re revisiting one of our most talked-about moments with Dr. Suzanne Goh, as we dive deep into the role of dietary changes for families navigating an autism diagnosis. She shares the top lifestyle factors that support overall and brain health post-diagnosis, along with the most common myths. Dr. Goh also discusses the latest research on autism, as well as the clinical protocol she uses to support families in her practice. Dr. Suzanne Goh, MD, BCBA, is cofounder and chief medical officer of Cortica, the largest provider of comprehensive health services for autism in the United States. She is the former Co-Director of Columbia University’s Center for Autism and the Developing Brain, where she researched the biological causes of autism and used brain imaging to identify patterns of neural circuitry and brain chemistry. Dr. Goh is currently a faculty member of the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs and is a frequent speaker for parent advocacy organizations. In this episode, Dhru and Dr. Goh dive into: Resistance to the role of diet in children with autism (2:34) How casein and gluten can trigger inflammation in the body (5:00) Why diet and exercise have an even greater impact on children with neurodevelopmental conditions (8:00) The role of nutritional supplements in helping children thrive (10:06) How lifestyle factors can influence the expression of the diagnosis (16:42) Patient stories from Dr. Goh’s practice (18:55) Cutting-edge device therapies used by Dr. Goh (25:02) Common co-occurring conditions with autism (27:17) The role medications can play as part of a broader treatment plan (32:50) Final thoughts (35:02) Also mentioned: Full episode with Dr. Suzanne Goh This episode is brought to you by Vuori and Ollie. Right now, Vuori is offering my listeners 20% off their FIRST purchase. Get yourself some of the most comfortable and versatile clothing on the planet at vuori.com/DHRU and discover the versatility of Vuori Clothing. Want to give your dog the best in clean eating? Take the online quiz and introduce Ollie to your pet. Right now, Ollie is offering 60% off your first box of meals when you subscribe today! Just head to Ollie.com, use the code DHRU, and you’ll get 60% off your first box of meals in your subscription. Sign up for Dhru’s Try This Newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hi everyone, Drew Prode here. There's more awareness about children and the journey that they go through
0:05.8	on the autism spectrum than ever before. And yet there are so few actual true subject matter
0:12.2	experts that are out there that are giving practical advice to families who love their kids
0:18.8	and also want their kids to have better health outcomes. So I had the opportunity
0:24.6	to sit down with Dr. Suzanne Go a little while ago, co-founder and chief medical officer of Kortica,
0:30.5	the largest provider of comprehensive health services for children on the autism spectrum in the
0:36.4	United States. And we talk specifically about the complex journey of supporting a children on the autism spectrum in the United States. And we talk specifically
0:38.3	about the complex journey of supporting a child on the autism spectrum. Now, a little bit about Dr.
0:44.9	Goh. She's the former co-director of Columbia University's Center for Autism and the Developing Brain.
0:51.3	And at Columbia, she researched the biological causes of autism and
0:55.9	used brain imaging to identify patterns of neural circuitry and brain chemistry. She also was part of
1:02.7	the pivotal team, previously I believe at Harvard, that discovered that children who had autism
1:08.1	had a higher likelihood of having, I believe it was 80%, mitochondrial dysfunction.
1:14.4	And as part of our approach to supporting children on the autism spectrum, we have to get to the
1:19.7	root issue in addition to all other treatments that are there and address mitochondrial dysfunction.
1:25.3	In my conversation with Dr. Go, I shared that in my community,
1:29.0	the Drew Proad Show, I've had several anecdotal stories from parents of children with autism
1:34.1	who have found that making small but meaningful changes like shifting their child's diet
1:39.2	towards more whole foods, which also supports their mitochondria, they discovered something surprising.
1:45.2	Their child seemed to feel better, and it was noticeable. Maybe they were sleeping more soundly,
1:50.9	having fewer gastrointestinal issues, which is something that a lot of families talk about
1:55.4	when it comes to their child who's on the spectrum, or showing more engagement and connection.
	...

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