Mild Autism Resource Site

Gluten and Casein, when in relation to autism have received lots of research and attention of late. Many doctors and parents have reported marked improvements in their child’s behaviour upon removing these elements from their diets. It should also be noted that in general most people have reported a reduction in the amount of diarrhoea and constipation during the dieting phase. So it begs the question, what exactly is Gluten and Casein and what effect, if any, can they possibly have on ASD sufferers.

Gluten proteins are found in a variety of wheat and grains, including  most of the standard types like, oats, rye, barley, durum, kamut and foods made from those grains. They are also commonly found in a range of sauces, vinegars, artificial coloring and hydrolyzed vegetables. Casein is found commonly in dairy products and foods containing milk and is included in the majority of cheeses, butter, yogurt, and whey.

The gluten/casein free diet has not received widespread endorsement from the medical fraternity mainly due to the lack of empirical evidence and research. As we all know, doctors commonly get hung up on wanting to see the states before they are prepared to accept the results of a single patients response. There have been a few studies conducted on GFCF diets with mixed results. Some studies have shown widespread behavioural improvements whilst others have shown a lack of response. There is mounting interest in the gastro-intestinal aspects of autism with major studies currently being undertaken by the University of California. So it will be interesting to see what evidence comes of this over the next few years. One thing is for certain though, we are only just scratching the surface of our knowledge on autism and its many aspects so, personally, i’m not willing to discount anything quite yet.

The theory that is doing the rounds at the moment is that people suffering from autism can not digest Gluten and Casein based products properly and these left over compounds end up forming peptides which can act in unknown ways in the body. It has been reported by some sufferers that there is sometimes a feeling similar to the use of opiates and that this is related to the build up of these peptides. Obviously, any form of peptide like this is likely to cause behavioural and neurological disfunctions and can also interfere with the immune system which is also common in mild autism sufferers. The veracity of this theory is currently being debated but it is a fact that researchers in both the US and Europe have found these peptides in the urine of autistic people.

Changing your child’s diet in an attempt to lesson their asd symptoms is something that should not be taken lightly and I highly caution anyone considering this route to consult with their doctor. Doctors can often run gluten and casein sensitivity tests to determine, if in fact, your child has these peptides in their system. Once a base line has been established, then a diet can be implemented to aid the specific issues.  But let me tell you, removing bread from your child’s diet will be a battle and definitely takes some pre-planning.

As a parent, you need to sit down and work out what is available and what you can get them to eat. Foods that can be eaten on a gluten-free, casein-free diet include rice, quinoa, amaranth, potato, buckwheat flour, corn, fruits, oil, vegetables, beans, tapioca, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, teff, nuts, eggs, and sorghum, among others. There is also a number of brands that are now openly promoting GFCF snacks and food and these can go a long way to making the diet more palatable to your child.  Having said that, be aware of hidden gluten and casein in food because not all manufacturers do the right thing and label their products correctly.

Often the easiest thing to remove initially is milk. Soy milk can be a likely substitute and is often switched without any notice. The removal of milk is also an easy first step before getting to the hard stuff, gluten, which it is recommended be removed after the first month. I would also suggest that you take the step of keeping a detailed food diary and also add additional information on your child’s behaviour day to day. You may discover a correlation between acting out and consumption of certain foods.

Research into the connection between autism and gluten/casein is continuing and at this stage the jury is still out. My results suggest that there is a small connection and that food can be an exacerbating factor…at least in my child’c case. So in any case, your mileage may vary but it is still worth investigating.

Stay Well

John