Scientific studies using a dietary supplement based on luteolin, a substabce contained in chamomile and kernel oil that helps reduce oxidation and inflammation of the brain, are giving hope for children with autism. The research was conducted by Greek expatriate Dr. Theocharis Theocharides, Professor of Pharmacology, Integrative Physiology and Pathobiology and director of the Laboratory of Molecular Immunopharmacology and Drug Discovery in the School of Medicine at Tufts University in Boston.

Interviewed for the ANA-MPA, while in Athens as a guest of the Hellenic American Union, Theocharides said certain herbal substances found in abundance in Greece had a possible anti-inflammatory effect and added that the research with luteolin and olive oil returned an improvement of about 60 % terms of the sociability of these children, while also boosting their speech.