Autism and the Gluten Free/Casein Free Diet

When most people choose to eat whole grains and dairy products they feel they are making a healthy choice. While this may be true for some, many others cannot tolerate these foods. Substances in dairy foods and certain grains can create a multitude of problems and in some cases can even be toxic. This is the case for many people with Autism.

There are many things that can be done to help improve the symptoms of Autism. One popular intervention is the gluten-free/casein-free diet. Thousands of parents throughout the world have placed their children on this restricted diet and many have observed dramatic improvements. It has been reported by the Pfeiffer Treatment Centre in Illinois that 75% of their autistic patients who have been put on the GF/CF diet have shown major improvements and sometimes a complete reversal of symptoms.

To explain how this diet works it is first important to understand that many autistic individuals have permeable intestinal tracts. This is often referred to as ‘leaky gut’ and can be caused by a few different things. Viral infection (e.g., measles), yeast infection (i.e., an overgrowth of candida albicans), and a reduction in phenol sulfur transferase (which lines the intestinal tract and makes it leak proof) can all be responsible for causing leaky gut. There is also some speculation that heavy metals in the intestinal tract can weaken membranes. Babies are born with leaky guts so that the nutrients and immune boosting substances like lactoferrin, immunoglobulins, sugars and antibodies from the mother’s milk can quickly and easily be absorbed. This is the only time a porous gut wall is beneficial.

Gluten is a protein which is contained in grains such as wheat, barley, rye and oats. Casein is a protein which is found in dairy products. To be properly digested gluten and casein need to be broken down first into peptides and then into amino acids

The theory behind why the gluten/casein free diet works for individuals with autism is that they often can’t fully digest these proteins because they lack the enzymes to do so. The peptides from the gluten and casein pass through the imperfections in the intestinal tract and into the bloodstream via the leaky gut. These peptides are called gliadinomorphin (from gluten protein) and casomorphin (from casein protein) and act like morphine in the body. It’s no wonder why many autistic kids LOVE their wheat and dairy…..it’s a pretty powerful drug! Having all of these undigested proteins floating around in the body evokes an immune response as well. Allergies are very prevalent in autism. Gliadinmorphin and casomorphin can also pass through the blood-brain barrier and impact brain development.

There are urine tests that can be performed to show whether or not the intestines are permeable. There are also blood and urine tests that can be done to determine the presence of gliadinomorphin and casomorphin in the body. These tests tend to be quite costly and aren’t always reliable, but if the resources are there and families want to be more certain that these problems exist before undertaking the diet….. great! I personally feel that these tests are not really necessary considering the numbers of children who have done the diet and have truly benefited from it.

Making the choice to switch to a gluten/casein free diet for yourself or for your child can feel truly daunting in the beginning. Once you train yourself to read ingredients properly, use milk substitutes and gluten free grains and seek out friendly brands, it’s really not that hard. And besides, the results can be well worth the effort!