A gluten free – casein free diet is most often beneficial to autistic children.
Why, you ask…
Wheat gluten and casein contain proteins which break down into molecules that resemble opium-like drugs.
Children with autism have compromised digestive systems, including “leaky guts.” It means that a person’s intestines are unusually permeable, allowing extra-large molecules (such as proteins) to leave the intestines. Thus, instead of simply excreting these large opium-like molecules, autistic children absorb the molecules into their bloodstream.
The molecules travel to the brain, where they induce a state similar to that of a drug-induced “high.” When wheat and casein are removed from the diet, the child no longer experiences the high, and his or her behaviors and abilities radically improve.
A corollary to this theory states that when a child’s preferred diet is mostly items containing wheat and dairy (pizza, crackers, milk, ice cream, yogurt, sandwiches – in short, what we often think of as “kid food”), that proves that the child is addicted to the opiate-like molecules and would benefit from the GFCF diet.
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Posted on February 9th, 2009 by carol
Filed under: Behavior Characteristics of Autism
i am into Gluten-Free diet because i am allergic to gluten. when baking bread, i always use Guar Gum or Xanthan Gum
i have been in a gluten free diet ever since last year because i have food allergy.
i have an allergy to Gluten and most of the time i use guar gum or xanthan gum for baking. these gums are good substitute for wheat,
I have gluten allergy since childhood. I am always on a Gluten Free diet and i use guar gum in some of may baked foods.