Yesterday I shared two life experiences with Autistic kids and food intolerance. I also shared what each one has done to make changes in diet and the results that occurred.
Autism link to food intolerance.
There was a study in which researchers found that some forms of Autism may be linked to food intolerance. During the study a large proportion of autistic children, particularly those with a late onset of autism, responded better to a diet that consisted of low in wheat, milk and other products linked to food intolerance.
One thing I pointed out yesterday was that the diets were NO cure for autism. Researchers have stated that it’s difficult to measure whether improvements in autistic behavior are due to a direct or indirect effect.
Dr Michael Tettenborn presented a study to the Allergy Research Foundation. The study showed that 28 out of 57 autistic children age ranging from 2 – 15 showed a “definite and sustained improvement” when they were give anti-fungal therapy and/or fed a diet in low yeast and milk products.
What I found interesting was that when the children were taken off the diet 6 had “uncertain improvement” in their symptoms. The children that responded to the treatment shared several characteristics which they had in common:
- developed autism after 16 months
- poor socialization skills
- poor eye contact
- altered bowl habits at the same time autistic symptoms developed
- many had been ill when symptoms developed and had been given antibiotics
- shared a tendency to feel excessive thirst
- craving for milk or wheat products
- nasal congestion
- very pale face with dark shadows under eyes
- abdominal distension
24 children were give an anti-fungal therapy which consisted of a diet low in refined sugar, yeast and fermented products and the drug nystatin for at least four months. The childrens autistic symptoms actually worsened before they got better.
11 were given an anti-fungal therapy and a gluten and casein-free diet and only 9 had the gluten and casein-free diet. The results were that children responder later to the treatment but one thing was they did not run into a risk of developing side effect from drugs as the first 24 children may have.
Not A Cure
Dr Fiona Cott of the Autism Research Center said that it is very difficult to prove whether the improvements were linked to a reduction of the side effects of food intolerance or to autistic symptoms.
If you notice yesterday and in these studies both suggest the same thing as the autistic children that the symptoms were relieved and it may also increase their social skills. The main core of their autism tended to not improve much in the studies.
Autism is very complex and could have a number of causes including genetics and environmental ones. One thing that was consistent here is that several children did have an intolerance to food. Again it’s not a cure.
Autism is a lifelong learning disability associated with an inability to understand other peoples feelings. It’s also difficult in the developmental area of play, imagination, and communication problems. There are many forms and types of autism and each person is very unique.
Stay tuned for Part 3 in which I talk about the research that disagrees with autism and food intolerance.
There is so much research out there on autism that it's hard to keep up with everything. I've never heard of anti-fungal therapy. Stacie, it sounds like you're trying to stay abreast of the latest research.
There is so much research on autism. I can't even keep up. I think if I read everything correctly anti-fungal therapy is the gluten-free, refined sugar, diet they were explaining in the research study. Don't quote me on that. I was going to dig a little deep and find out exactly what it was.
There is so much research out there on autism that it's hard to keep up with everything. I've never heard of anti-fungal therapy. Stacie, it sounds like you're trying to stay abreast of the latest research.
There is so much research on autism. I can't even keep up. I think if I read everything correctly anti-fungal therapy is the gluten-free, refined sugar, diet they were explaining in the research study. Don't quote me on that. I was going to dig a little deep and find out exactly what it was.