Can removing gluten and casein from a child’s diet really improve the symptoms of autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)?

Gluten and casein are increasingly becoming a hot topic in the autism community and from doctors in the “Defeat Autism Now!” biomedical movement. There is lots of evidence from parents, doctors and researchers who have seen small to large improvements in children’s speech and behavior after removing gluten and casein from their diets. Other effects have been fewer bouts of diarrhea and loose stools in children with autism. And then some people report no benefits at all from removing Gluten andcasein from their diets.

So what is Gluten? Gluten and gluten-like proteins are found in many different types of food including wheat, oats, rye, barley, durum, spelt, kamut, bulgar and any foods made from these grains. They can also be found in food starches, couscous, semolina, malt, soy sauce, flavorings, some vinegars, artificial colors and hydrolyzed vegetable proteins.

So what is Casein? Casein is a protein found in milk and foods containing milk, such as butter, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, whey and even some brands of margarine. It can also be added to non-milk products such as soy cheese and hot dogs in the form of caseinate.

Over the last few years, there has been a growing interest linking autism and GI (gastrointestinal) ailments. A study by the University of California Davis Health System found that autistic children born in the 1990s had a higher chance to have GI problems, including diarrhea, constipation, and vomiting, than children with autism who were born in the early 1980s. People have used the Gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diet to mainly lessen GI problems and food allergies.

One Theory states that autistic children or those with PDD cannot properly digest gluten and casein. They discovered that gluten and casein form peptides which tend to act like opiates in the body. Peptides can change a person’s behavior, responses and perceptions to his surroundings and environment. Scientists have found that peptides set off an unusual response in their immune system. According to research in the U.S. and Europe, children with autism have peptides in their urine.

Although it has not gained widespread acceptance in the medical community, studies are underway to examine the effect of a GFCF diet in children with autism. There is controversy over this theory since one recent study found behavioral improvements in children when they were on a GFCF diet, and another study found no significant effects from the GFCF diet.

In order to find out if your child has a sensitivity or allergy to gluten or casein, medical tests can be ordered by a pediatrician or physician. YOu should have these run before you begin the GFCF diet. Also, before changing diets, you should consult with your pediatrician to ensure you’re providing a healthy diet. Nutritional supplements may also be necessary.

When changing your child’s diet, some advocates believe that you should go slow and remove only one food at a time so you can tell which food is causing the problem. They suggest asking other people not aware of the dietary change if they see any improvement. Some examples may be friends, neighbors or teachers. They do suggest removing milk first because milk will clear itself from the body the quickest. Gluten can be the next removed from the diet. Because of this process, it may take up to 6 months to see if this diet is really working.

Changing to this diet will be very hard. There are several steps that go into it. First, reading ingredients on food packages will be required. You will need to look for hidden gluten and casein ingredients. Examples are curds, caseinate, lactose, bran, spices or certain types of vinegar. Milk will be hard to substitue but children can adapt to a gluten-free, casein-free  milk substitutes on the market that include soy, almond, rice and potato. You will want to look for products that are high in calcium and citamin D. Parents can also give vitamin and calcium supplements.

A great source for your new diet is shopping at health food stores or groceries that carry products that are gluten-free. You shuld be able to find flour, cereal, waffles, pasta, potatoes, bread, crackers, cookies and pretzels. Retailers online will also be a great resource. And if you need to save money, some people have found out how to make their own GFCF foods.

Foods that are safe to eat on a GFCF diet include rice, potato, buckwheat flour, soy, corn, fruits, vegetables, beans, tapioca, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, nuts, eggs, and many other foods.

Once on the diet, parents report that their children show no symptoms of autism. They have better eye contact, less GI problems and inproved behacior. Some parents though report no difference in their autistic children.

Soy and corn have also been found to relieve autism symptoms because soy protein is similar to gluten and casein.

Because there has been positive evidence in following a GFCF diet, scientists are continuing to research this theory. But, since every person is different, this can’t be expected to be the cure-all for all autistic children.

This entry was posted on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 1:25 am and is filed under Autism Information. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.