The researchers tested a simple mixture of zinc, serine and branched-chain amino acids in mice with a model of autism. This low-dose combination resulted in enhanced neural function and improved social behavior in these animals. The mixture restored more typical patterns of synaptic proteins in the brain and reduced excessive activity in the amygdala, the part of the brain responsible for emotions. A key finding was that individual nutrients given alone had no effect, suggesting that these nutrients must work together to be effective. The results suggest that a multi-nutrient approach could be a promising strategy for influencing brain circuits involved in autism. However, the study was conducted on animals, so more research is needed to verify the effectiveness of this method in humans.