Could a gluten free diet help people who are suffering with something other than celiac disease?

As the diagnosis of autism grows at alarming rates both doctors and parents  are looking at new ways to both fight and prevent autism.

One of the problems with fighting autism is that we still don’t know the causes of this disease. There is lots of research going on at the moment but the outcome with normal treatments are at best uncertain.

This uncertainty is causing many parents and researchers to look at the diet of both the patient and the parents. In these studies some have been trying a gluten/casein free diet as an answer to autism.

One of the first places that bought a gluten free diet to the fore as being valuable in the fight against autism was in a book by the, actress Jenny McCarthy where she talks about her son Evan, who was diagnosed with autism.

In her fight to help her son overcome autism she has been using a gluten free diet (accompanied by medication, therapy and supplements) to help him deal with and hopefully overcome autism.

How is it that a gluten/casein free diet can help children with autism?  No one knows for sure, but one school of thought is that gluten (a protein found in wheat and some other grains) and casein (a protein found in dairy) act in a way that’s similar to morphine on some children.

Children with autism often have permeable intestinal tracts, or “leaky guts.”  The weak membranes in the intestine allow these broken-down peptides from digested gluten and casein (which act like morphine) to basically get loose in the bloodstream.

It either makes them lose control, or become zombie-like.  How can a person know if the gluten/casein free diet will help their autistic loved-one?  Research is still inconclusive about how this works – or even if it works.

But there’s no reason not to try it and see if it helps. Because there are good food substitutes for the food that would become off-limits, there isn’t a risk of malnourishment by eliminating gluten and casein.

It is recommended, however, that no child under the age of 5 go on a cold turkey gluten and casein-free diet, because it could cause withdrawal and worsening of the symptoms of autism.

It would be better to slowly wean the child off of the newly blacklisted foods and introduce replacement foods over time. Begin by eliminating one source at a time, and give the new diet at least six months for results.

A person suffering autism can also be examined for “leaky gut” first, but again, because a gluten-free or casein-free diet is not inherently unhealthy, it’s fine to try it and note any positive changes.

Many parents who have incorporated a gluten/casein-free diet into their autistic child’s healthcare plan are swearing by the positive results they’re seeing. Children are communicating better, interacting more and functioning at a higher level.

The medical community is looking closely at this alternative treatment option for autism and many doctors are adding it to their treatment plans for autistic patients.  But it’s not a guarantee for everyone.