GFCF Diet for Autism

The GFCF diet for autism is a special diet recommended by the Autism Research Institute as an alternative treatment for autism. The diet focuses on the elimination of foods containing gluten and casein. Many autism experts who follow the Defeat Autism Now (DAN!) program claim that the diet has been proven to improve autism symptoms in affected people. Yet the controversial diet is not widely recognized or accepted in the medical community.

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The GFCF diet is the acronym for the Gluten-free and Casein-free diet. It involves the avoidance of foods containing gluten, a protein found in grains such as wheat or casein, a protein found in dairy products. The diet for autistic children was developed in response to the discovery that many people with autism have gastrointestinal issues.

Studies have linked the condition of permeable intestinal tracts or leaky gut with autism. In fact, the number of people with autism and gastrointestinal problems is growing. A University of California Davis Health System study discovered that a larger percentage of children with autism born after 1990 had gastrointestinal issues than autistic children born in the 1980's.

GFCF diets can alleviate the food absorption problems associated with gastrointestinal issues such as leaky gut. Many trial GFCF diets have shown that once gastrointestinal problems are managed, autism behavioral symptoms can improve in some individuals.

Both children and adults with autism can follow a GFCF diet. Although the diet is restrictive, there is still a large selection of acceptable foods such as eggs, meat, vegetables, rice, beans and fruit. Just as it is necessary to discuss alternative herbal therapies for autism, experts recommend that a parent or caregiver consult with both a doctor and a nutritionist to develop a healthy GFCF diet plan before starting the diet.

Most experts recommend that the diet be introduced gradually by eliminating one food at a time. Milk is often removed from the diet first. People are usually placed on a trial diet of six months to adjust to the new way of eating. Diet participants, who thrive on the diet during the trial period, continue the diet.

It is unknown why GFCF diets help people with autism. Some experts believe that gluten and casein foods affect normal neurological function of people with autism. The body creates peptides out of gluten and casein during digestion. The peptides may pass through the intestinal tract, where the gluten becomes glidainomorphin and the casein becomes casomorphin. The glidainomorphin and the casomorphin can potentially have a negative narcotic-type effect on the brain. Once the substances are removed from a person's diet, brain function improves.

Another theory is that many people with autism have intolerance to foods containing gluten and casein. Since affected people cannot properly digest gluten and casein foods, the food causes indigestion and gastrointestinal issues. Unable to communicate physical discomfort clearly, a person might exhibit behavioral problems typical of autism. When gluten and casein are avoided, a person with autism may experience less behavioral issues because she feels physically better.

GFCF diets may not work for every person with autism or provide the same improvements for each participant. However, many successful GFCF diet participants have experienced significant improvements in both autism symptoms and physical health.

The GFCF diet has been credited for the following health improvements:

• Less digestion issues or the elimination of gastrointestinal problems
• Improved language and communication skills
• Better social skills
• Less behavioral problems

The GFCF diet for autism is not widely accepted by the medical community because many doctors feel that it does not provide adequate nutrition. Many foods that provide vital nutrients and vitamins are not allowed in the diet. Some of these doctors feel that there is not sufficient evidence for the diet's effectiveness on autism to justify placing people on a restrictive diet that could potentially result in dangerous vitamin deficiencies.

A number of doctors do not recommend GFCF diets for children. A 2008 study found that boys on a GFCF diet for autism had significantly thinner bones than average boys of the same age did. The thinner bones place the boys at risk for unhealthy bone development and broken bones. This also provides evidence that GFCF diets potentially put children at risk for vitamin D and calcium deficiencies.

A parent or caregiver should also consider the following before adopting a GFCF diet plan:

• Food availability and cost: Appropriate foods are hard to find and expensive. Some people may have to purchase food from online specialty stores.
• Participant's response: Some diet participants do not like the food and have trouble cooperating with the food restrictions. Some parents have reported that their child misbehaves because he wants to eat what the other kids in his class are eating. *Nutritional issues: The diet makes it difficult to provide complete nutrition. It is extremely important to consult a nutritionist and doctor to develop a healthy diet plan. Additional vitamin supplements may be necessary.

The Internet provides numerous websites with guidelines and food lists for the GFCF diet for autism. Online resources include:

• GFCF Diet: is a comprehensive site has diet guidelines and food lists.
• Talking About Curing Autism: TACA provides helpful diet information and shopping lists.
• AutismWeb: AutismWeb features information, food lists and GFCF recipes.
• The GFCF Experience: is a blog that features articles, news and helpful information on GFCF diets.
• The Autistic Spectrum: site has an article with advice on how to start a GFCF diet.

The GFCF diet's success rate offers hope for people with autism. It points to a possible connection between gastrointestinal health and autism. This connection and further research may lead to better autism treatment options and perhaps a future cure. While the diet may not work for every person with autism, it is certainly worth consideration.

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