Gluten and Autism

My own research into autism and the kids that have it has been an interesting journey of discovering what the thoughts and theories are behind this affliction. I have found that there is a lot of credence given to the role of diet in autistic children and as a member of the gluten free community I did some research of my own into how autism and gluten are thought to be connected. It was another interesting journey of information I found on a website called Healing Thresholds that I'd like to share.

Digestion

As I researched autism, I soon found out that the digestive capabilities of these kids is quite compromised. As a result, they have many difficulties when they eat numerous foods. Digestive enzymes can be helpful to autistic kids in this regard, but advocates of gluten free diets feel that much of the problem is derived from gluten products and going gluten free with these kids has shown some improvement in their symptoms of indigestion.

Autistic kids are known for something called a "leaky gut" wherein their small intestines leak substances within them into the bloodstream. As a result of this, many types of foods get placed into the blood where they don't belong and create many health problems some of which are related to autism.

Going Gluten Free

Going gluten free is challenging even for those that have done it for awhile. I'm one of those people and I am finding out more hidden sources of gluten all the time. Staying away from wheat seems to be something most people can grasp right away, however, it does take some time to get into the habit of thoroughly reading labels to search out hidden sources of gluten like barley,rye, oats as well as wheat, otherwise known as "brow". These grains are milled with wheat and are problematic for those that are gluten sensitive as well.

Nutrition

If the autisitic child has been on a standard American diet, they may find it difficult to adjust to such an obscure and unfamiliar diet. However, little by little they will adjust to the new changes. They may be more receptive to drinking some good freshly juiced fruit and vegetable juices that are mega packed with nutrients that are easily absorbed by the body in minutes. A nice combination of apple and carrot, or carrot, kale, lime, and green apple seems to be well liked by my own kids that I make fresh juices for.

Since digestion is always an issue with autistic kids, be sure to serve foods that are alive and enzyme rich for easy digestion, like live fruits and veggies. The enzymes in these foods break them down for better nutrient uptake. You can usually get these kids to eat a lot of fruit, leaving veggies as your challenge, but as stated above, juicing them with something sweet like apple or carrot makes it more appealing.