Dr. K unpacks the growing debate around acetaminophen (Tylenol) and its possible link to autism while cutting through the noise of headlines, political statements, and online panic. He explains what the data actually shows, why correlation doesn’t equal causation, and how confounding variables like maternal illness, age, and chronic conditions can completely change how we interpret these studies. Using his background as both a psychiatrist and medical researcher, Dr. K breaks down what autism really is—a neurodevelopmental spectrum shaped by thousands of subtle genetic and environmental factors. He dives into how modern healthcare has unintentionally increased autism diagnoses through both better detection and the survival of high-risk births. The episode also examines the role of SSRIs, infections, and chronic illness in influencing risk, and why oversimplifying the problem could lead to worse outcomes. Topics include: What autism actually is and why it’s a spectrum, not a single disorder Why autism rates are rising with better diagnosis vs. real risk factors The Tylenol connection: what studies really say about acetaminophen use in pregnancy Confounding variables: how illness and infection skew the data The role of maternal/paternal age, chronic illness, and environmental exposure SSRIs, pregnancy, and how risk statistics are often misunderstood Why demonizing one factor (like Tylenol) can cause more harm than good This episode offers a calm, science-based perspective on a heated topic reminding us that complex conditions like autism rarely have a single cause, and that real understanding requires nuance, not fear. HG Coaching : https://bit.ly/46bIkdo Dr. K's Guide to Mental Health: https://bit.ly/44z3Szt HG Memberships : https://bit.ly/3TNoMVf Products & Services : https://bit.ly/44kz7x0 HealthyGamer.GG: https://bit.ly/3ZOopgQ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Full Episode
Hey y'all, if you're interested in applying some of the principles that we share to actually create change in your life, check out Dr. K's guide to mental health.
And so we start by understanding what literally is meditation. How does experience shape us as human beings? How do we strengthen the mind itself as an organ? And so by understanding our mind, we understand a very, very simple tool, a crucial tool that we have to learn how to use if we want to build the life that we want to.
So check out the link in the bio and start your journey today. Hey chat, welcome to the Healthy Gamer GG podcast. I'm Dr. Alok Kanuja, but you can call me Dr. K. I'm a psychiatrist, gamer, and co-founder of Healthy Gamer. On this podcast, we explore mental health and life in the digital age, breaking down big ideas to help you better understand yourself and the world around you.
So let's dive right in. Today we are going to talk about the relationship between acetaminophen and autism. Dr. K has officially entered the fray. I'm Dr. K and I have a purpose in life. The White House recently released a statement and held a press conference talking about the link between acetaminophen and autism.
And there's a lot of stuff in the statement that I think is actually pretty good. They cite one study from the Harvard School of Public Health, which is, let's remember, liberal academia, that shows that there is a correlation between autism and Tylenol or acetaminophen use. And their conclusion, I know this sounds insane, is not wrong. I think the problem is that it is also not right.
Now in order to understand what we mean by that, we have to start by understanding what autism spectrum disorder actually is. It is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent social deficits and restrictive repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. So what does that mean? What is a neurodevelopmental disorder? If I set out to build a house,
There is a typical way that a house looks, and there is a typical set of tools that I will use to build a house. I'll use a hammer, I'll use nails, and if everything works the way that it's supposed to, I end up with a typical house. Now, how would that house end up differently if I started making changes to the materials that I used?
If I used, let's say, foam instead of wood, or if I used a hammer that was a little bit lopsided, how would that house end up looking? And what we see in autism spectrum disorder is that there are probably all kinds of little things that when they compound over the course of the development of our brain result in this autism spectrum picture.
The second thing about autism spectrum disorder is that it is a spectrum. So I know this is going to sound kind of weird, but autism spectrum disorder is not one disorder. It is actually millions of individual disorders, individual pictures that we all lump together because they in the ballpark look the same.
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