Many environmental factors affect your health, including your diet. Gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye and barley; and casein, the protein found in milk, can cause gastrointestinal disorders in some people, prompting the need for special diets.The research surrounding the use of a gluten-free and casein-free diet focuses on its use as an alternative treatment for autism. Scientists theorize that the inability to completely break down these proteins produces a peptide that affects the central nervous system and the brain, contributing to the symptoms of autism.
Autism
Autism, also called autism spectrum disorder, is a developmental disorder that most commonly affects your ability to communicate and interact with others. Although usually diagnosed during the first three years of life, less severe cases might not surface until the elementary years. The Autism Society estimates that 1 percent of children ages 3 to 17 in the United States suffer from some form of autism spectrum disorder. Doctors, parents, patients and scientists continue to study the role that environmental factors play in autism, the fastest-growing developmental disorder. Many studies center on dietary interventions, such as a gluten-free, casein-free diet.
"Nutritional Neuroscience"
A study published in the April 2010 issue of "Nutritional Neuroscience" studied the effects of a gluten-free and casein-free -- GFCF -- diet in children ages 4 to almost 11 years old with autism spectrum disorder. Some children went on the diet while others did not. The children then underwent testing at baseline, eight months and 12 months, using the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, or ADOS, and the Guilliam Autism Rating Scale, or GARS, to assess any changes in behavior. The study found that the group on the GFCF diet showed significant improvement, but concluded that further studies need to be conducted to determine factors that might affect who might or might not respond to this dietary intervention.
"Journal of the American Dietetic Association"
Registered dietitian Wendy Marcason provides information in a 2009 issue of the "Journal of the American Dietetic Association" about whether the GFCF diet is appropriate for use with all autism patients. Because there is not a specific treatment or cure for autism, many parents turn to alternative treatments, such as the GFCF diet, even when the patient fails to test positive for an intolerance to the proteins. She points out that the GFCF diet presents many negative features, including the high cost of the diet, the difficulty following the diet and the risk for developing amino acid deficiencies and conditions of bone loss. In her research findings she concludes that more research needs to be conducted to determine the effectiveness of the diet in reducing the symptoms of autism and that each parent should evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of dietary interventions for her child.
"Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders"
Although so many parents and doctors place hope in the GFCF dietary intervention to help reduce the symptoms of autism, a study published in the October 2009 issue of "Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders" reviews the results of 14 scientific studies focused on the GFCF diet. This systemic review found that seven studies reported positive results, four reported negative results, two reported mixed results and one could not make any determination. Although the majority of the studies found a positive correlation with the GFCF diet and a reduction of symptoms, each study only provided suggestive results and could not provide conclusive evidence. This review concludes that the GFCF diet should not be used as a treatment for autism spectrum disorder unless doctors diagnose the patient with a food allergy or intolerance to both gluten and casein.
References
- Autism Society: Facts and Statistics
- "Nutritional Neuroscience"; The ScanBrit randomised, Controlled, Single-blind Study of a Gluten- and Casein-Free Dietary Intervention for Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders; Whiteley; April 2010
- "Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders"; Gluten-Free and Casein-Free Diets in the Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorders -- A Systemic Review; Mulloy et. al.; April 2009
- "Journal of the American Dietetic Association"; What is the Current Status of Research Concerning Gluten-Free and Casein-Free Diets for Children Diagnosed with Autism?; Wendy Marcason, RD; 2009
Member Comments