Special Diets for Autism

Autism is a developmental disorder with symptoms including restricted and repetitive behaviors, difficulty with social interaction and impaired communication skills. Autism is one of the disorders recognized as belonging to the "autistic spectrum," which also includes Asperger's syndrome and pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified, or PDD-NOS. Signs of autism typically appear in the first two years of a child's life. Gastrointesinal problems are common in children with autistic spectrum disorders, and there is some evidence that the symptoms of autism can be reduced by adherence to one of several special diets.

Gluten-Free

Children and adults with autism are frequently found to have high levels of peptides in the urine. According to a 1999 study of autism and diet conducted by a group of British researchers, this is believed to indicate an incomplete chemical breakdown and excessive intestinal absorption of peptides, which come from foods containing gluten and casein. High peptide levels are disruptive to neuroregulatory and biochemical processes in the body, and therefore have a negative impact on brain maturation, attention span, social interaction and learning. It has been suggested that this disruption by peptides contributes to the behavioral and physical problems associated with autistic spectrum disorders. Following a gluten-free diet has been found to decrease autistic behaviors--the 1999 British study monitored a group of children on gluten-free diets over five months and found an improvement in behavior during this time. Following a gluten-free diet involves avoidance of all wheat, barley, rye, spelt, malts and optionally oats.

Milk-Free

Like gluten, caseins are believed to contribute to high urine peptide levels in patients with autism. Caseins are a milk protein, and therefore it is believed that a milk-free diet is beneficial to those with high peptide levels in the urine. A November 2003 study by a group of Scandinavian researchers followed a group of 20 children over a period of one year. Some of the children were placed on a milk-free diet, others remained on a diet including milk. The study found that the children on the milk-free diet experienced a significant decrease in autistic behaviors. The children who continued to consume milk products, as a group, did not experience any such reduction in behaviors. Therefore, a milk-free diet appears to be helpful in the reduction of autistic behaviors for those individuals with high urine peptide levels.

Probiotics and Prebiotics

Abnormal flora in the gut has been found in many individuals with autism and is suspected to be both a symptom and a cause of autistic spectrum disorders. For this reason, probiotic and prebiotic supplements may be helpful in rebalancing the gut flora. According to research conducted in 2005 at the Food Microbial Sciences Unit of the University of Reading, England, patients with autistic spectrum disorders were found to have higher levels of Clostridium histolyticum in the gut. Clostridium histolyticum is a producer of toxins and contributes toward a poorly functioning gut. Under medical supervision, probiotics and prebiotics can reduce or eliminate the presence of such flora in the gut.

Ketogenic Diet

The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, low-carbohydrate regimen that has proved effective as a complementary therapy for children with epilepsy. However, it also has been found that the ketogenic diet may be therapeutically effective for individuals with autistic spectrum disorders. A 2003 study carried out by a group of Greek researchers placed 30 children on a ketogenic diet for six months; 60 percent of the children following the ketogenic diet recorded improvement in behaviors and symptoms as measured by the Childhood Autism Rating Scale. The ketogenic diet places strict limitations on overall daily intake of calories, fluid, carbohydrate and protein, and emphasizes consumption of high-fat foods such as butter, mayonnaise, oils and cream.

Considerations

Any restrictive diet carries inherent health risks, and you should not undertake any of the above-mentioned special diets for autism without medical approval and supervision. Elimination diets may lead to nutritional deficiencies--for example, a milk-free diet may lead to calcium deficiency unless care is taken to include other calcium sources in the diet. The ketogenic diet, due to its high fat content, may cause an increase in cholesterol levels. There is also a question of whether an individual, particularly a young child, can tolerate a restrictive diet. Of the 30 children in the Greek study, seven were unable to tolerate the ketogenic diet.