Dr. Oz on Biomedical treatment of Autism
Julie Mathews on her Book "Autism Diet and Nutrition"
Personal Experiences with the GFCF Diet
"Apart from a few recent additions and improvements, most of the info on this page is a copy of a post I put on an autism forum in May 2007, trying to impress upon people the importance of doing the Gluten Free, Casein Free (GFCF) diet correctly to have the best chance of seeing any real results. Unfortunately far too many people think it’s too hard and don’t do it properly then give up thinking it doesn’t work. Obviously it’s not going to work for everybody, but it has to be trialled correctly to be given the best possible chance of an accurate and definitive outcome.
Autism is often accompanied by various food intolerances, particularly to gluten and casein, and also salicylates, amines and other naturally occurring food chemicals as well as preservatives and other artificial additives to food. Intolerance is NOT the same as allergy and cannot be tested for via blood tests or other allergy tests. It has to be determined via a carefully controlled and monitored elimination diet, followed by challenges of various types of food to ascertain whether or not the person is intolerant to that particular food.
It is often clear from behavioural changes when beginning an elimination diet that something in the diet was causing problems – removal of the offending substance(s) can often bring about a wonderful improvement in behaviour or physical symptoms but it can also cause withdrawal symptoms, making the person’s mood and/or behaviour temporarily worse, before an improvement is seen. However, even if an improvement is seen on the elimination diet, the challenges must still be done to find out exactly which substance(s) the person is intolerant to so that many other foods are not needlessly avoided. Any changes in mood and behaviour or the manifestation of physical symptoms after re-introducing a particular substance into the diet can indicate an intolerance.
Contrary to what autism activist Jenny McCarthy might claim, the GFCF diet does NOT cure autism or Asperger’s Syndrome. What it does do however is give the gluten/casein intolerant person a chance to function at their best, without suffering the brain-fog or behaviour disturbances caused by the offending foods, and gives them back a sense of control over their own mind that they didn’t have before. I know… I’ve been there… and NO WAY am I going back to the way I was pre-diet!"
READ MORE : http://theotherside.wordpress.com/diet/gfcf-diet/
Lisa Lewis, PhD talks about her Autistic Son's Experimental GFCF Diet
"In the five years since my son was diagnosed with autism, I have spent hundreds of hours in libraries, and connected to computerized databases and networks. Because I worked at a university, I had access to these resources, and the training and experience to use them. Through these media, as well as connection to the Internet I was able to gather together a great deal of information.
Three years ago, I began a dietary experiment that has helped my son enormously. Because I spent so much time and energy searching for answers as to why this has helped him, and how to implement this diet, I decided to share it with other parents and professionals. I hope you will find this packet useful. Please feel free to share it with others who may benefit or who are simply looking for more information."
READ MORE: http://www.princeton.edu/~serge/ll/gfpak.html
Three years ago, I began a dietary experiment that has helped my son enormously. Because I spent so much time and energy searching for answers as to why this has helped him, and how to implement this diet, I decided to share it with other parents and professionals. I hope you will find this packet useful. Please feel free to share it with others who may benefit or who are simply looking for more information."
READ MORE: http://www.princeton.edu/~serge/ll/gfpak.html
Article by PETA
Autism is a brain disorder that causes sufferers to have extreme difficulty communicating and relating to others. It is often marked by anti-social behavior like screaming and obsessive repetition of actions, which takes an enormous emotional toll on sufferers and their families. PETA has created a billboard to alert the public to the connection between this devastating disease and dairy-product consumption.
More research is needed, but scientific studies have shown that many autistic kids improve dramatically when put on a diet free of dairy foods. One study of 20 children found a major reduction in autistic behavior in kids who were put on a casein-free diet (casein is a component of cow's milk). And another study done by researchers at the University of Rome showed a "marked improvement" in the behavior of autistic children who were taken off dairy products.
The reason why dairy foods may worsen or even cause autism is being debated. Some suspect that casein harms the brain, while others suggest that the gastrointestinal problems so often caused by dairy products cause distress and thus worsen behavior in autistic children.
Regardless of the cause, testimonials show that many people with this disease may be able to find relief with a simple dietary change—removing milk from their diet. The Internet contains numerous heart-wrenching stories from parents of kids who had suffered the worst effects of autism for years before dairy foods were eliminated from their children's diets. Here is one mother's story:
READ MORE: http://www.peta.org/features/got-autism-learn-about-the-link-between-dairy-products-and-the-disease.aspx
More research is needed, but scientific studies have shown that many autistic kids improve dramatically when put on a diet free of dairy foods. One study of 20 children found a major reduction in autistic behavior in kids who were put on a casein-free diet (casein is a component of cow's milk). And another study done by researchers at the University of Rome showed a "marked improvement" in the behavior of autistic children who were taken off dairy products.
The reason why dairy foods may worsen or even cause autism is being debated. Some suspect that casein harms the brain, while others suggest that the gastrointestinal problems so often caused by dairy products cause distress and thus worsen behavior in autistic children.
Regardless of the cause, testimonials show that many people with this disease may be able to find relief with a simple dietary change—removing milk from their diet. The Internet contains numerous heart-wrenching stories from parents of kids who had suffered the worst effects of autism for years before dairy foods were eliminated from their children's diets. Here is one mother's story:
READ MORE: http://www.peta.org/features/got-autism-learn-about-the-link-between-dairy-products-and-the-disease.aspx
Wheat, Dairy and Autism Article by About.com
- Wheat and dairy do in fact break down into peptides which, in fact, look a lot like opium-like drugs. These are called gluteomorphines and cassomorphines.
- Some children with autism (though by no means all) do have gastrointestinal issues. A subgroup of these children have leaky intestines.
- Some studies show that the peptides in question are found in unusually high amounts in the urine of autistic children - but those studies included only children with existing gastrointestinal issues. A study that included a broader group of autistic children did not show an increased level of peptides in the urine.
- There have been studies showing that the brains of rats injected with casomorphines are activated in areas affected by autism (though there are still big questions about which areas of the brain really are affected by autism, which makes me question the outcome of that particular study).
- I could not find any evidence to show that gluteomorphines and casomorphines actually cause autistic-like behaviors. Several studies have looked at the impact of Naltrexone (not approved in the U.S.) - a drug which blocks the impact of gluteomporphines and casomorphines on the brain. The researchers found that there was little support for the idea that Naltrexone is effective in treating symptoms of autism.
- Many studies have shown that a GFCF diet is effective in treating symptoms of autism, though quite a few equally credible studies seem to show otherwise.
Read More: http://autism.about.com/od/causesofautism/a/dietcause.htm