Diet plays one of the most important roles in our lives, and really, it’s not just one role. Diet can be the difference between healthy and unhealthy, happy and sad, life and death. But could diet really be beneficial in treating autistic behaviors? Some parents have been turning to the gluten and casein-free diet, some with good results.
Can Going Gluten and Casein Free Reduce Negative Autistic Behaviors?
Many parents who have taken their kids off of gluten and casein have seen significant results in the form of reduced negative autistic behaviors. These results have been reported for years. However, the results are mixed and unclear. Why?
Firstly, the results are unclear because many parents aren’t objective when it comes to judging their child’s behaviors. Also — behaviors are sometimes just plain hard to judge. It’s hard to say sometimes if your child has just been good lately (but will start being bad again soon), or if there is some measure of real improvement. What we generally see with parents who put their kids on this diet could be the placebo effect. Really, they are seeing what they want to see.
On the other hand, there have been actually kind of a lot of scientific studies done on the matter, and many of them with some interesting results. One reason we can trust these studies a little more than parent testimony is because they remove most of the bias involved with parents judging their own kids.
When we consider some of the studies this is what we find:
First let’s consider some of the most promising results. I found a scientific journal that you can download by clicking this link which described a positive result. The children in the study were given only a gluten-free diet (not gluten and casein free) for 5 months. At the beginning and end of the 5 month period, the children were evaluated and there was a significant decrease in behaviors for those children.
This scientific study was conducted over the course of two years. To me, a much more trustworthy length of time. After the first year of study, the results were so good in the gluten and casein-free group, that the control group was also given the treatment.
However, this study, and many more like it, simply state that the results are generally weak and inconclusive.
There are a few things to consider if you are still thinking about putting your kid on a diet like this one.
- Is the evidence really strong enough to indicate that it works at all?
- Will it be overly difficult to implement the diet?
- Should you remove just gluten, or casein as well?
Honestly, the evidence isn’t that strong. There is no earth-shattering evidence that your child will improve when put on this diet, and it would be could be pretty hard to implement. No matter what you decide, the most important part of this equation is safety.
Is it safe to go gluten and casein free?
In order to answer that question, we have to consider what foods contain gluten and casein. Gluten can be found in almost any bread-type food (or food containing wheat, barley, or rye), whereas casein can be found in almost all dairy products. So let’s list a few foods that would be off-limits for your autistic child:
- Breads
- Baked goods
- Soups (of certain varieties)
- Pasta
- Cereals
- Malt
- Cheese
- Milk
- Yogurt
- Sour Cream
Realistically, this diet might be hard to pull off. You probably eat dairy or gluten in almost every meal. I know I do. But is it safe? Technically yes, but it’s only safe if you are carefully considering the nutrient intake of your child, making sure that they are receiving the proper necessary nutrition for their health. Depriving your child of needed nutrients will be very counterproductive.
Dairy is a major contributor of vitamin D, protein, calcium, and potassium.
Wheat alone has calcium as well as phosphorous, potassium, iron, B vitamins, and fiber. Foods that contain gluten also contain a wide variety of other vitamins and minerals.
It is strongly suggested that if you decided to go gluten and casein free, that you consult a nutritionist. However, if you are carefully watching the dietary intake of your child, the gluten and casein free diet can be safe; although, it may be more expensive to find replacements for regular bread and dairy.
In Conclusion
Going gluten and casein free could cause your child’s autistic behaviors to decrease. It also could leave your child malnourished. However, if you meet with a nutritionist, and you can afford to supplement your child’s nutrition with healthier-than-bread and healthier-than-cheese substitutes, then it is honestly worth the effort to try.
