A Dietary Approach to Managing Autism

You are what you eat. This is a common expression that might take on a new meaning once you’ve read this article.
There are numerous studies that have found a significant relationship between the symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and gastrointestinal problems.

Abnormal peptides have been found in the urine of children with ASD in several studies which created the “opioid excess theory” of Autism. This theory states that autism and the associated symptoms may be related to the ineffective breakdown of peptides derived from foods containing gluten (Bread, baked good, pasta for example) and casein (Milk, cheese, yogurt for example). There has been a lot of research done about the correlation between ASD symptoms and gastrointestinal irregularities. These irregularities include constipation, gastroesophageal reflux, gastroenteritis and an imbalance of the gut’s natural bacteria and flora.

In other studies, researchers investigated the prevalence of gastrointestinal issues in individuals with ASD and the correlation of these issues with the severity of their symptoms and their development. They found that gastrointestinal problems were prevalent in individuals with ASD and that there was a correlation between gastrointestinal problems and the severity of ASD symptoms. In one study they found that 7 out of 10 infants with ASD had feeding or dietary problems and this supported the theory that there is an association between ASD and gastrointestinal issues. Another study found that a variety of gastrointestinal conditions, dietary issues and immune irregularities in individuals with ASD can contribute to the core deficits or symptoms of ASD. The study mentioned how your gut health could affect your behaviour, mood, development and your central nervous system through what they called the gut-brain axis.

The gut-brain axis indicates that there is a bi-directional communication network that connects the gastrointestinal tract to the central nervous system (which includes the autonomic nervous system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the nerves within the gastrointestinal tract). Researchers continue to find correlations between our gut health and our mental and neurological functioning. Their research shows that fluctuations of the microbiota are linked to changes in these systems of communication. Just to give you an idea, the autonomic nervous system regulates our unconscious bodily processes like the heartbeat, digestion, the respiratory rate and is the primary mechanism for the “fight or flight” response. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis also plays a key role in digestion, our immune response and how we handle stress.

Currently, ASD has a well-established link to gastrointestinal disruptions. A comprehensive nutritional and dietary intervention study for ASD was done in 2018. The study was a randomised, controlled 12-month trial with 67 participants (children and adults) and 50 non-sibling neurotypical control participants of similar age and gender.
Research indicates that the healthy gluten-free, casein-free, soy-free (HGCSF) diet has been the most effective dietary intervention for treating the symptoms in individuals with ASD. The HGCSF diet entails adding special vitamin/mineral supplements to the diet, removing gluten, casein and soy from the diets and including essential fatty acids and Epsom salt baths. The results suggested that a comprehensive nutritional and dietary intervention is effective at improving non-verbal IQ, autism symptoms, and other symptoms in most individuals with ASD.

It is important to note that although we believe in a holistic approach, a dietary intervention is not a cure-all. At Applied Behaviour Solutions we believe that dietary intervention in collaboration with intensive applied behaviour analysis therapy (ABA) will render the best results. Collaboration is key and in fighting the battle against ASD, all the tools at our disposal need to be implemented to ensure the optimal positive results. We highly recommend that you work with your GP, a biomedical doctor or a certified nutritionist when making dietary decisions for your child. This article is intended for educational purposes, to create awareness around what we and our children eat and the different approaches we can take to fight the battle against ASD, it should not be construed as specific dietary advice.

Here are some great sources for recipes, tips and tricks regarding fussy eaters and more information regarding ASD and the gluten, casein, and soy free diet:

https://hes-extraordinary.com/gfcf-diet-for-autism

https://www.myrecipes.com/healthy-diet/austism-gluten-free-diet

http://recipecircus.com/recipes/Writermom77/

Sources: 

Adams, J. B., Audhya, T., Geis, E., Gehn, E., Fimbres, V., Pollard, E. L., & Matthews, J. S. (2018). Comprehensive nutritional and dietary intervention for autism spectrum disorder—a randomized, controlled 12-month trial. Nutrients, 10(3), 369.

DeMorrow S. (2018). Role of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in Health and Disease. International journal of molecular sciences, 19(4), 986.

https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms19040986

http://ikefoundationforautism.org/e-library/Gastrointestinal_Issues_in_Autism_Spectrum.5.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Maya_Matheis/publication/312344450_Gastrointestinal_Issues_in_Infants_and_Children_with_Autism_and_Developmental_Delays/links/5ad11e80458515c60f4fdab9/Gastrointestinal-Issues-in-Infants-and-Children-with-Autism-and-Developmental-Delays.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/254092422_Effect_of_a_Dietary_Intervention_on_Autistic_Behavior

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6469458/pdf/imcj-17-28.pdf

Lewis, L. S. (1998). Special diets for special kids: Understanding and implementing a gluten and casein-free diet to aid in the treatment of autism and related developmental disorders. Future Horizons.