Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Dieting

Living with a child with Autism can be tough. There are so many conflicting reports about what causes Autism and treatments vary. My son is autistic and we are currently trying to reduce the amount of dairy and wheat in his diet.

A Gluten-Free, Casein-Free diet is one of the things that many parents of autistic children try to improve their child's condition.

What exactly is a Gluten-Free, Casein-Free diet? Have there been proven cases where a Gluten-Free, Casein-Free diet helped children with Autism?

What exactly is a Gluten-Free, Casein-Free diet? The short answer to that question is wheat free, dairy free. Sounds simple. Not really. Few people realize the amount of Gluten that is in their foods. And when you have a child who loves cheese, a casein-free diet can be difficult achieve.

Gluten is the "meat" of wheat. It is what is the protein left once the starch is washed away. Gluten is an important protein for much of the world. However, in some children with autism and people with celiac disease, Gluten is poisonous. Casein is a milk protein. In milk, casein is the salt of calcium.

For children with Autism, their bodies may not process gluten (wheat) and casein (dairy) correctly and are not completely broken down in their bodies. This causes an opioid reaction in the body. Like all opioid (heroin, etc.) autistic children need to feed their habit with more of the same.

This "opiate" state causes children with Autism to be in a fogged state. They do not see the world the way others do. When these autistic children start a gluten-free, casein-free diet, they come out of their fogged state with their senses emerging.

Many people have seen their autistic children reduce their dangerous climbing, feel pain, and are clearer and more compliant. This diet has helped children who have NOT tested positive for gluten and/or casein allergy. So, if your child is autistic, you may want to give this a try.

If you are hesitant to change your child's diet so drastically, lab testing may help make the decision to try a gluten-free, casein-free diet. An ELISA blood test measuring IgE and IgG anti-bodies will help you determine your child's food sensitivities.

So, if you have a child with Autism and want to try a Gluten-Free, Casein-Free diet, where do you begin? Read, read, read. Product labels can be difficult to understand. Certain unacceptable ingredients may be hidden under the name of natural flavorings. Modified food starch is also a vague term which does not indicate the source of the starch (wheat or corn).

There is a helpful chart on the The Official GFCF Diet Support Group FREE Informative Website. This chart lists stages for removing casein and gluten from your child's diet. Do not go cold turkey, as your child will have an ugly withdrawal reactions as any addict would.

Have there been proven cases where a Gluten-Free, Casein-Free diet helped children with Autism? There are many testimonials to the positive effects of gluten-free, casein-free diets. One of the most notable testimonials comes from Jenny McCarthy. But, there are others who echo what Jenny has seen in her son, Ethan.

With all of the evidence that gluten-free, casein-free diets may help autistic children, it is certainly worth a try.