Autism Key #1 – Diet
This debate seems to span the ages among autistic parents. If you have an autistic child or loved one, you know that there is an abundance of autism diet articles. It’s very confusing. United States modern medicine experts will tell you that there is absolutely no connection. However, European studies prove different. Many autistic parents have relayed to me that their conventional health care provider supports and advocates for specific dietary restrictions. If there is no significant data, I find it curious that so many conventional experts actually recommend dietary restriction.
So your question will now logically be, “Do dietary restrictions make a difference?”
- No, I can not find definitive US literature to support this. However, there are active ongoing research that study the link between autism and diet. Remember the US has some of the highest autism rates in the world.
- Several European studies definitively show a link between autism and diet, specifically gluten and casein.
- My daughters dietary condition associated with autism surfaced at 6 weeks of age and was alleviated with the removal of casein from her diet.
Those are researched facts. Remember, when considering autism effective treatment for one person it’s just that. Elizabeth’s autism journey began at six weeks. Elizabeth had a diet of approximately 75% breast milk/25% formula. As any mom will tell you, this child should experience normal and frequent bowel movements. The simple fact was that this child was extremely constipated for days to weeks. Constipation occurs at a much higher rate in the autistic community. When I used a dairy free alternative formula, the symptoms improved but never resolved totally.
Elizabeth’s formal diagnosis was delivered at age 3. Her constipation issues persisted throughout her preschool years. It was both mechanical and behavioral. Until, she entered early intervention services that involved peer modeling. Her teacher pointed me to a small US article that suggested there may be a connection between autism and a protein in conventional pasteurized dairy products called casein.
Because I am a scientist by nature, I decided to do an experiment. I removed all casein containing products from my house. Within a few short weeks, all symptoms of constipation resolved. Potty training was miraculously successful. And, a bigger suprise, other behavioral symptoms lessened by approximately 25-50%. I have kept this dietary adjustment within my household ever since my first of many little experiments. So, do I think diet plays a role? You bet I do!
You may be wondering about gluten free. I have not forced a gluten free lifestyle in my house, even though I am a celiac and continue to remain totally gluten free. I would say that Elizabeth is on a “gluten-lite” diet. Do I think there is a connection between autism and gluten intolerance? Since the rate of celiac is higher in the autistic population, I absolutely do. But I chose my battles with Elizabeth and I got the greatest result with the casein dietary change.
Finally, I get asked often about dyes, artificial sweeteners, etc. In general, I try to keep my house organic. I am stickler about organic meat, eggs, dairy, and bread. Yes, Elizabeth gets candy, ice cream, snacks etc in moderation. I try to encourage health food choices and moderation in my children. While I do limit these items, I am not the food police since they make food decisions in my absence daily. I TRUST their choices.
Please feel free to leave comments, questions, or other topics of interest.
“See” you for part 3 next week!
