Does an Apple a day keep the Autism away?:

The effects of a Gluten-Free, Casein Free Diet

Christopher Hague29th April 2011

Scholarship Sewanee

What is Autism?

• Autism is a developmental disorder marked by:– Deficiencies in

communication (eye contact, language, etc)

– Social interactions (social isolation, lack of social awareness and cures)

– Repetitive and self-injurious actions (self stimulation, obsession to details, hitting ones self, etc.)

• Cause: Unknown however there are many theories. – Vaccines (unproven)– Genetics (most promising

but complex) – Nutritional problems and

vitamin deficiencies

• Cure: unknown, but there are many homegrown, traditional remedies as well as proven therapies such as diet

What is Gluten and Casein?

• Gluten is a protein found in mostly in wheat, oats, and barely

• Casein is a protein found in dairy products

• Usually these proteins are properly digested and absorbed by the body without adverse consequences. However, when they are not, toxic peptides are released

Digesting the Theory:The Opiod Excess theory (Dohan, 1966)

Digesting the Theory: Evidence

• When the specific peptide in question, β-casomorphin-7 (β-CM7), was injected into rats, autistic behavior was observe but when taken off they returned to normal (Sun & Cade, 1999).

• Autistic children have a higher probability of having an upper digestive tract and urinary peptide levels (Panksepp, 1979; Levy, 2007; Knivsberg, Reichel, Hoein, & Nodland, 2002).

• Societies that do not have heavy gluten or casein diets have lower if non existent cases of autism and ASD (Feingold, 1975 )

• This theory would also explain why a child’s symptoms of ASD may fluctuate from day to day and even hour to hour depending on how much or if (s)he consumes certain products

• Learning and Language Disabilities such as those found in Autistic children can sometimes arise from malnutrition and an inability to get certain protein found in wheat and dairy products

Putting it to the test

• Adams and Conn (1997): Concluded that when children were put on the McFarland Diet (a combination between the GFCF diet and a megadose vitamin diet) they improved in– Verbal communication– Language skills– Eye contact– Motor, verbal, and cognitive tests almost to age

appropriate levels

Unreliable because….

• Based on two case studies • No baseline measures• No control group • No control over education plans or therapy • Improvements were based on parental and

teacher observation so placebo effect

Adding controls…

• Knivsberg et al. (2002) :– Used a single-blind controlled experiment in

which one group of ten children when on a GFCF diet while the control group did not

•Both groups showed improvements but the GFCF group showed significantly greater improvements especially in • Aloofness • Distractibility• Need for rituals

Still problematic

• Case size still too small as shown by the outliers who skewed the improvements of the GFCF group

• Very little change in motor skills and non verbal skills

• With such sporadic improvements within groups, the outside therapies could be the real cause

• High functioning versus low functioning• Still using parental and teacher observation for

main measure of improvements

Finding a reliable measure…

• Patel and Curtis (2007):– Measured UPL on a group of children with dual

autistic and ADHD diagnoses. – Removed all toxins from the environment

including mold, mites, tobacco, and non-organic cosmetics

– GFCF, organic, natural diet – Megavitamin doses

Patel and Curtis (2007) (continued)

• Significant decrease in toxic UPL and toxic chemicals in urine such as lead, arsenic, mercury, and aluminum

• Improved behavior, attention, learning skills, social abilities, aggression, hyperactivity – Four subjects were able to go to normal

schooling

Still needs digesting…

• Correlation is not causation – We do not know if the chemicals found in the

urine was the cause of the Autism• Which variable cause the change?• Small sample size• No outside therapy control• Dual diagnoses: did it cure the ADHD which

affected the Autism?

The perfect study:

• Double blind study or one with a control group• Large sample size• Control of outside therapy (either by hours or type)• Group of just ADHD kids and kids who receive vitamins• Monitor UPL and use reliable and quantitative pre and

post tests for learning, motor, social, and verbal cues. • Analogue measures • Provide the food • Control for high functioning versus low functioning or

include both

Not the magical cure

• Overall there is currently very little evidence to suggest A GFCF diet has a significant

• However, a GFCF diet may have healthy side effects even if it does not cure autism.

Special Thanks

• Yale Child Study Center • Dr. Volkmar and his autism research program• Sewanee Psychology department

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