Misleading Study About Autism and GI Issues

An article publish on Reuters this week reported on a study conducted at the Mayo clinic. In the study they concluded that children with autism are no more likely to have gastrointestinal issues than typically developing children. Although it may be true that occurrences of GI issues such as Crohn’s Disease and irritable bowel syndrome are equally likely, it does not address the issues of other metabolic issues that some people with autism may be experiencing.

It is hypothesized that some people with autism have problems metabolizing casein and gluten. These proteins may be metabolized and create high levels of opiate-like proteins in the body which may account for some symptoms. Elimination of these proteins from the diets of some people with autism has been anecdotally reported to increase eye contact and decrease problem behaviors. There have been limited research studies addressing this topic and the ones that have been conducted are inconclusive as of now, but in my experience there have been improvements in children whose diets have been restricted.

When starting elimination diets, it is important to consult with your child’s doctor. There are doctors who specialize in working with the dietary needs of people with autism. These are DAN doctors (DAN: Defeat Autism Now). I am by no means saying that a gluten-free casein-free diet (GFCF) is right for every person with autism, but I do strongly suggest that people look into whether or not their child’s metabolism is functioning properly. The study by Mayo Clinic is interesting and adds to the information pool, but just because children with autism are no more likely than others to have GI diseases doesn’t mean they don’t have other issues that may be helped by changes in dietary intake.

Reuters Article

Please comment on this post regarding the following:

1. Does your child with autism have any diagnosable GI issues or issues with metabolism?

2. Have you tried the GFCF diet with your child? If so, did you find it to be helpful? Difficult to implement?