Dietary Interventions

There are some professionals who recommend dietary changes for people with autism. Usually eliminating refined sugars, wheat, and dairy are the suggested first steps. There are parents who believe that dietary changes have “cured” children of autism. Others are skeptical that anything as simple as diet can cure autism. 

Wheat and Dairy Free

After receiving a diagnosis of autism, most doctors will suggest that you have your child follow a gluten-free (wheat, oats, rye, and other grains) and casein-free (milk and milk by-products) diet. It is believed that gluten and casein contain proteins that break down into molecules that resemble opium-like drugs, or that they cause an abnormal immune response and the body responds by attacking itself. There have been no research studies into the gluten/casein free diet and its effects on autism. Some parents report improvements in speech and behavior after making the change. Others, report a decrease in cases of diarrhea.

It is suggested that you begin the process slowly and remove dairy from the diet first. Remove milk, first, as the body clears itself of milk casein the fastest. Keep your child dairy free for at least two weeks. You should see subtle changes within the first few days, but definitely within the first few weeks. If you are not observing any improvements, try to introduce a small amount of milk back into the diet to see if there is any sort of reaction. Should you see a sudden deterioration of behavior after reintroducing milk in the diet, revert back to no milk. This shows that the child is sensitive to dairy products. If you add milk back into the diet, and see no change, it could be that dairy does not trigger a food sensitivity.

Once you have the milk-free portion of the evaluation figured out, remove gluten from the diet. It takes longer to see a change from the gluten removal, often up to 3-6 months. Research food options to find anything that contains even suspect trace amounts of casein or gluten. If your child is indeed sensitive to casein or gluten, even ingesting a small amount will cause a reaction.

Yeast

Some doctors and researchers believe that yeast may also cause some of the symptoms experienced by autistic children. An overgrowth of yeast can cause a condition called leaky gut. Leaky gut is a health condition which is caused when tiny holes in the intestinal tract allow molecules, such as proteins, to escape the large intestine. Subsequently, the opium-like (opium is a narcotic that contains morphine) molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream, the molecules travel to the brain and can cause symptoms such as confusion, hyperactivity, fatigue, and stomach problems. Since wheat and casein contain proteins which break down into molecules that replicate opium-like drugs, removing these from the diet will help eliminate the symptoms caused by leaky gut. This is still a controversial theory that is undergoing a great deal of thorough research.

Refined Sugars and Processed Foods

Removing foods from the diet that contain refined sugars, along with processed foods, may also improve your child’s ability to function. Avoid the following:

• soft drinks and high-sugar juices
• nitrites and nitrates
• artificial colorings
• artificial sweeteners
• monosodium glutamate (MSG)

Whole foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables are best. Reading food labels is important, however figuring out what exactly is in foods can be difficult to decipher. The longer the list of ingredients, the greater likelihood that the food contains unfavorable additives. If you can’t pronounce it, you probably don’t want your child to eat it! Whatever changes you choose to make, keep a food diary to track the diet and any notes about the affects on physical or behavioral symptoms. These physical changes, besides behavior, can include drowsiness, irritability, stomachaches, changes in sleep patterns, or changes in bowel function.

As mentioned, there is not hard research supporting a link between autism and diet. But, if it even mildly helps you child, it may be worth a try. This methodology does not involve any medication, so in the end, it can only improve the overall health of your autistic child.

Tagged as: Diet