Out of all the diets recommended for those who are diagnosed with autism, the Gluten and Casein-Free Diet (GFCF) is one of the most well known and trusted. Many who are affected by autism have sensitive digestive systems, and have difficulties breaking down particular foods they consume. In particular, many children with autism seem to be affected by what is called a “leaky gut.” In short, many children on the spectrum have a damaged intestinal lining, which prevents the breakdown of certain foods, and allows undigested particles to go straight into their bloodstreams. In particular, gluten and casein, which is found in a number of the common foods we eat every day, can be very difficult for children with autism to breakdown, and as a result, these undigested proteins frequently make there way pass the intestinal lining of the gut and into the bloodstream. For the most of us, digesting these food groups is not a problem, but for those who have autism, gluten and casein can pose a great threat to their health. Not only does the indigestion lead to inflammation and bowel issues, but it has also been known have affects on the mind as well.
So, naturally, the idea behind this diet is to eliminate foods from the child’s diet that contain gluten or casein. Gluten is a protein that is usually found in wheat, rye, barley and oats, so products such as bread, baked goods, cereal, and pizza have large amounts of gluten in them. Casein is usually found in dairy products. If you decide to put your child on this diet, you will become an expert at reading labels – often foods contain hidden gluten and casein. Caretakers should never trust food labels, and if they are confused about food ingredients, they should email or phone the food company to get a better understanding of what is in the specific food. Foods that have more than 10 items of ingredients or have ingredients that are too hard to pronounce pose a red flag. This includes products such as curds, some spices, caseinate, bran, and certain brands of vinegar. Fortunately, there are many replacement foods that parents can choose from for their children to eat, and there are a number of companies that specialize in developing wheat-free versions of children’s favorite foods.
Some common indicators of an intolerance to gluten or casein products are eczema, constipation, bloating, diarrhea, and/or ear infections. Children may also frequently throw up foods that contain gluten or casein. To get greater insight behind the issue, it is recommended that caretakers get their child tested for allergies. The IgG and IgE blood tests can be performed by pediatricians and allergists, and are aimed at describing child allergies. If it is not allergies that are affecting the child, parents should look towards providing their child with a peptides test, to figure out what is affecting their child (high yeast growth, intolerance to GFCF foods, calcium or zinc or other deficiencies). These tests can be provided through the Great Plains labs (www.greatplainslaboratory.com) and the Great Smokes Lab (www.gsdl.com). The results can help explain what is internally going on with a child and will direct caretakers in planning what supplements they should provide to their child to help aid the problem. Parents who implement this diet with their children should take on the diet slowly, gradually substituting gluten and casein free foods with the foods that their child is used to eating. If the child is taken off gluten and casein foods too quickly, he may suffer withdrawal symptoms.
Gluten and casein should be removed from a child’s diet separately in order for you to ascertain if one of the two food groups is affecting the child more than the other. Casein should be removed first from a child’s diet, because the body will clear itself of casein faster than it does gluten. In addition, it is easier to identify casein-containing foods (dairy products) than gluten-containing foods (a more broad group). The gluten free portion should be carried out for at least six months, because this is the amount of time that is expected for all the gluten to exit the body once it has stopped being consumed.
Many parents who have adopted the GFCF diet for their children have noticed these improvements: increased eye contact, better speech capabilities, better sleep patterns, less self-stimulation, improved behavior, fewer rashes, and less diarrhea and constipation. The GFCF diet has been known to help 85% of children in these areas. If you are considering the GFCF diet, parents should be aware that the diet might lack some nutrients because of the absence of many common foods. For example, when casein is removed from an individual’s diet, a lot of calcium is removed from the diet as well. Caretakers need to make sure that they provide their child with the necessary supplements to balance the diet! Most parents provide supplements such as cod liver oil, magnesium, calcium, zinc, TMG or SuperNuThera, and probiogold.
95% or families see results in 2-3 months, but a few families may have to wait up to a year to see results within their child. The first month of the diet is known to be the most difficult, simply because kids tend to reject the new foods that they are being forced to eat. The following is a list of positive side effects parents can expect from their kids within the first month of the diet: crankiness, change in stools, kid going of food strikes, and change in sleeping patterns. However, caretakers should begin to worry if their child begins to have rashes that last longer than a week, has changes in sleep patterns for more than a week, exhibits abusive behavior, or has very strange or runny stools for more than four days. The best way to start off the diet is to feed children the GFCF foods that they already have an acceptance for (French fries, cereals, rice/potato based meals). Even when the dieting becomes very difficult, parents should not give up! The results are proof that the diet can take children a long way in their development, and there is no harm involved in giving the diet a shot.
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