No gluten or casein to lessen symptoms?

[jamesaldrin]

Hey all. I read online that staying away from eating gluten and casein (casein is found in most dairy products) will lessen symptoms of autism. Specifically, I was interested by an article about a parent who made her toddler's autism symptoms lessen by keeping him away from gluten and casein. Tthere are also a lot of places saying that this doesn't affect autism at all. I recently took gluten and casein out of my diet to see if this works. I wanted to see what you all think about this.

 

[Ambi]

I'm curious about this, too. I have been diagnosed with a thyroid issue and I am reading online to remove these things, which has been hard - I keep failing :-( But I feel like my symptoms are all mixed up. I'll try to be better about keeping these items out of my diet and see what happens.

 

[xudo]

Hey all. I read online that staying away from eating gluten and casein (casein is found in most dairy products) will lessen symptoms of autism. Specifically, I was interested by an article about a parent who made her toddler's autism symptoms lessen by keeping him away from gluten and casein. Tthere are also a lot of places saying that this doesn't affect autism at all. I recently took gluten and casein out of my diet to see if this works. I wanted to see what you all think about this.

To be quite honest, I think it's nothing but BS.

 

[Southern Discomfort]

There is very little evidence that says gluten-free diets work to reduce the symptoms of autism. It is likely that any positive effects of this is purely placebo.

Gluten-Free Diet Has No Benefit for Children With Autism, Study Finds

Going gluten-free unlikely to help most people with autism | Spectrum | Autism Research News

This is mostly drummed out by people trying to get rich off of desperate parents. You know, yesterday it was camel's milk, today it's gluten-free. The only good it's doing is making more food readily available for selection for people with coeliac disease. Probably the only reason to go gluten-free.

The best treatment for autism is therapy. Whether it's seeing a specialist in autism to help you or reading self help books. There is no 'quick fix', if you want to sort stuff out you've got to work on it and if you do, find an equilibrium between what works and your energy levels because you can't do everything.

 

[ZebraAutismo]

To be honest I feel this can't be true. I have been dairy free and I am gluten free and it never lessoned my autism or anxity.

 

[Warmheart]

My experience:

Menopause happened, and my autism challenges went haywire due to hormonal hoopla.

I gave up gluten (just because I noticed I slept poorly on events nfs when I ate bread), annnnnnd WOW!
Self-injurious fits all but stopped. My frustration threshold rose. I slept so well, that I woke up feeling refreshed! Much, MUCH fewer meltdowns. Much fewer migraines. Much less anXiety! Huge difference without any gluten at all.

Going gluten free has made my autism challenges much less.
I can only speak for myself, but... what a relief! I had no idea I was gluten intolerant, because my digestion has always been fine. To feel so much more calm and well, I'll stay GF.

 

[ms grey]

I have seen results reducing carbs, eating a portion of meat (no lunch meat or MSG) with a lot of veggies or low carb, high protein drinks. I do not know if it reduced anxiety or meltdowns but I felt better. In 2000, I had a complete burn out. I could not control the diabetes and keep a job. Quit the job. I started this diet in 2000 to loose weight and control diabetes. About a year later, lost weight and off diabetes meds. Some diets increase the amount of dopamine the brain develops, which I think helps me. I was at another job 6 months later.

Back in the 80's, a girlfriend took her kids off lunch meat and sugar and the ADHD cleared. So there is something to diet but the results may be on a case by case basis.

 

[Jimbo]

One thing I would highly recommend removing from your diet is MSG. It's in nearly all packaged, processed foods and goes by about 40 different names. I finally figured out it was causing me extreme anxiety and making my heart beat so hard I couldn't sleep. Bread products that contain gluten also contain MSG. It's sometimes called malted barley flour or soy protein, maltodextrin, dextrose, whey protein. Eat clean and feel better.

 

[Warmheart]

Any "protein isolate" or "hydrolized protien" gives me migraines and anxiety. Whole Foods are ideal, but I'm aware that packaged foods happen.... especially for those of us who struggle with making meals safely. I've become an ingredient list reader!

 

[Jimbo]

Any "protein isolate" or "hydrolized protien" gives me migraines and anxiety. Whole Foods are ideal, but I'm aware that packaged foods happen.... especially for those of us who struggle with making meals safely. I've become an ingredient list reader!

We have a local store called the fresh market which is supposedly healthy food, but it's just about impossible to find something healthy unless you just buy an apple. All of their packaged lunch items still contain all of the things I can't eat.

 

[Ambi]

I'm updating this thread with results from taking gluten and dairy out of my diet - the gluten was causing joint pains and the dairy was causing brain fog. I am beginning to think that many of my cognitive issues are directly related to my thyroid issues and food sensitivities, though I still relate to what people say about Aspie burnout. Anyways, this is helping me see the difference between my Asperger's symptoms and the thyroid issues/food sensitivities. So....I don't know if casein and gluten will reduce ASD symptoms, but if you are sensitive to those foods, regardless of whether you have ASD, then removing them would reduce whatever symptoms they might be causing which you currently are associating with ASD instead.

 

[hutchie]

No food can change brain structure, healthy diet is always a good idea, doesn't have to be boring, finding out what works for you, life and lifestyle always impact this, you can be large frame and healthy, and slim and unhealthy, I've been obsessed with health and fitness my life, now I draw a balance with fun food for the mind, a treat.

No one mentions the chemicals added to food ie E numbers and different names sugar comes under to keep us addicted to food, the impact on us and future generations, what are they responsible for? Margarine for example is not a food, a food like substance, the amount of ingredients in margarine to make it edible, butter is natural, but the adverts tell us different

 

[Chance]

Hey all. I read online that staying away from eating gluten and casein (casein is found in most dairy products) will lessen symptoms of autism. Specifically, I was interested by an article about a parent who made her toddler's autism symptoms lessen by keeping him away from gluten and casein. Tthere are also a lot of places saying that this doesn't affect autism at all. I recently took gluten and casein out of my diet to see if this works. I wanted to see what you all think about this.

I don't know if avoiding Casin or Gluten helping stop Autism... I am ASD. Maybe 6 years back I was having really bad allergies (still do) and just didn't feel good at any level. I was tested for allergies and intolerances.
This was a traumatic experience for me... It sucked and then they took DNA and finished up that way.

Of the many things these 2 were big issues. So I have been avoiding them and yes I feel better, but as far as anything ASD related... Nothing has changed. The best help it gave me was some stomach relief... My gut hates me : (

I'm never saying this is wrong and avoiding them cant help. Maybe with a small child it would be different. Or maybe with anyone but me it would be different. ASD is ASD is for the lack of a horribly overused term we are just wired different.

I do agree, and know that we run on chemical signals that turn into electronic pulses, and yes there could be some changes, but I simply noticed I felt better a while later. However, toss me into an ASD nightmare and its all still the same mentally. I will still start forgetting, fidgeting, shaking, and I will shut down if it get bad enough.

So I am basically a 6 year experiment on this very subject, but it could be different for others...
Please never think I am against anyone trying, but often people are trying to fix what isn't broken. : )

My curiosity would be as to how many of us are allergic, or intolerant to Casin or Gluten?
My other theory is if we were in the old days before growth hormone injections in cattle and GMO wheat...
Would this even exist?

I'm a digger and I'm open minded. I like to get back to the roots of situations and remove all the clutter and then look at it again. I break things down into smaller details. I often have tough times seeing any big picture until I understand all these little cubicles I make for myself, but thats just me.

Interesting post by the way.

 

[Butterfly88]

I'm lactose intolerant and have always been so I don't eat dairy products therefore I'm not exposed to casein. I do notice if I eat concentrated gluten (any ingredient with gluten in the name) I can be a little more irritable. I later gave up all gluten and didn't notice too much of a difference. I think it's okay to have gluten just don't have crazy amounts of it, as it's not good for anyone, aspie or not. I also agree with Jimbo about MSG. Processed foods in general aren't good. A general rule I learned is if you can't pronounce an ingredient it's generally not good for you. One exception is quinoa and I'm sure there are others. But the point I'm trying to make is your better off with fresh food or more natural packaged foods (I often find organic packaged foods have no or less MSG and other nasty additives).

 

[Chance]

I basically live farm to fork as much as possible. We have most everything right here in the middle of no where. Its a lot more work, but its good food and much better for you. I am getting more back into it. I have bought my own farm... but still work full time (then some), so I get really tired out sometimes. Plus my job keeps me in 2 states in differing times of the year, so it gets hard to stay with it and also eat healthy these days.

I have found some great stores that offer non GMO, non gluten, and non Casin foods... Plus these days just pop on line, order, and UPS brings it to the door... There are still good things in our mass insanity... : )

 

[Ambi]

I think what I have learned, my opinions on this, are this: simply put, food allergies and sensitivities are their own thing. If you have them, you need to avoid those foods or eliminate them. If you don't have them, it won't make a difference. If one person is okay with some gluten, or a lot of it, fine for them. My husband has zero problems with any of the foods that I am experiencing problems with. He has zero benefit from limiting/eliminating them. But I do not think Asperger's is itself is due in any part to food issues. That individual who benefits from avoiding certain foods just happens to have food sensitivities/intolerances or allergies - regardless of whether they have ASD or not. And if eliminating those particular symptoms makes life easier, that's a good thing to discover. But I definitely do not agree with blanket statements when it comes to avoiding/eliminating foods - it is entirely dependent upon the specific individual and how their immune system is reacting to things - it is highly individual. You've got to figure it out for yourself either by testing or trying an elimination diet.

 

[the_tortoise]

I think it's one of those "your mileage may vary" things. There's no harm in trying any diet to see if it helps you feel better as long as you manage to meet your nutritional needs.

For myself personally, I avoid gluten because consuming it gives me hellish digestive problems, but I haven't found it changes my autism symptoms. Casein has no negative affects on me at all.

 

[Drakanav]

I've been gluten free since last year in may, after the doctor found out that I had a sensitivity to it.

Meltdowns, stimming, social difficulties, anxiety and depression are still here. But if it helps someone and they want to feel better, then I think they should go ahead and do it.