Evidence that Diet Causes Autism

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Review of the Evidence that Diet Causes Autism

McDougall Newsletter

 

Previously posted to SoFlaVegans list

 

http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2006nl/nov/fav5.htm

 

Elimination diets in autism spectrum disorders: any wheat amidst the

chaff? by George W. Christison published in the April 2006 issue of

Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics reported their analysis of

the scientific studies connecting autism with diet, and concluded,

" The literature currently available suggests that diets eliminating

both gluten and casein (rather than either alone) should be studied

first and that outcome measures should include assessments of

nonverbal cognition. " 1 The most popular diets evaluated removed both

gluten-a protein commonly found in wheat, barley, and rye

products-and casein, a protein in cow's milk. Benefits described by

proponents of this kind of dietary treatment are improvements in a

wide range of autism symptoms, with better social engagement and

verbal skills commonly experienced.

 

Comment: Diet therapy should be the first treatment recommended by

all doctors-it is low-cost and side-effect free, and could easily

lead to a cure. Besides, what other choices are available-certainly,

not anything of real value from the pharmaceutical industry. The

mechanisms by which diet can cause autism are easily explainable.

Diet can produce an excess of opium-like compounds which affect the

brain, and an unhealthy diet can damage the intestinal wall

increasing its the permeability-a " leaky gut " forms, which allows

passage into the blood of neuroactive substances, like the opium-like

compounds. Eliminating casein and gluten from the diet reverses these

effects.

 

The easiest step for a family to take would be to stop feeding all

dairy products (including skim milk, cheese, yogurt, and anything

else derived from cow's milk-other animal milks are also excluded)

and high gluten foods, such as wheat, barley and rye. However, the

best chance for success, and my recommendation, would be to start an

effective elimination diet immediately. Only the foods least likely

to cause harm are consumed. My December 2002 newsletter article-Diet

for the Desperate-provides guidelines for the most effective

elimination diet. Benefits should be expected to begin to be seen in

4 to 7 days; however, I have seen improvements in similar diseases

take as long as 4 months. Schizophrenia is a related disease, and a

similar dietary approach should be tried with this condition.2

 

Information on a gluten-free diet can be found in my September 2005

newsletter article: Could It Be Celiac Disease? More reasons to take

your child off of all milk products are found in my May 2003

newsletter article: Marketing Milk and Disease.

 

1) Christison GW, Ivany K. Elimination diets in autism spectrum

disorders: any wheat amidst the chaff? J Dev Behav Pediatr. 2006

Apr;27(2 Suppl):S162-71

 

2) Reichelt KL, Seim AR, Reichelt WH. Could schizophrenia be

reasonably explained by Dohan's hypothesis on genetic interaction

with a dietary peptide overload?

Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 1996 Oct;20(7):1083-114.