| A Doctor Explains the Benefits of Using a Gluten | | | | Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, |
| and Casein Free Diet: | | | | spelt, and kamut (and other wheat derivatives). |
| The gluten and casein-free diet has been a main | | | | Casein is a protein found in dairy such as cheese, |
| stay therapy for children on the autism-spectrum | | | | milk, yogurt and dairy products. Both proteins can |
| for many years. The reason? | | | | affect people negatively - particularly autistic |
| It works. | | | | children - because of the chemical influence these |
| Many kids see a dramatic improvement in their | | | | food proteins have on brain chemistry. Gluten and |
| condition. | | | | casein are also called morphine derivatives |
| What Does a Gluten and Casein Free Diet Do? | | | | because part of their influence is similar to opiate |
| The GFCF diet helps many children improve their | | | | drugs on the brain which affect cognitive abilities |
| cognitive skills in a number of areas: | | | | such as language, awareness and behavior. If you |
| * Improved attention and focusing | | | | have ever taken a medication like morphine, |
| * More awareness of their environment | | | | codeine or Vicodin you have experienced the |
| * Better eye contact | | | | chemical influence of these drugs both physically |
| * Less self-stimulatory behavior | | | | and mentally - in essence, many children on the |
| * More capacity for receptive and expressive | | | | autism-spectrum are being drugged from gluten |
| language skill. | | | | and dairy foods. Kids can improve both physically |
| These skills do not always increase with the same | | | | and behaviorally with a gluten and casein-free diet |
| intensity for all children, but if you reference the | | | | as well. Listed below are just some of things I |
| statistics from the Autism Research Institute it is | | | | have seen improve with autism-spectrum children |
| shown that the gluten and casein-free diet is a | | | | when placed on a GFCF diet: |
| top therapy that over 60% of parents feel has | | | | * Better bowel function, i.e. less constipation and |
| made significant changes with their child. In some | | | | or diarrhea |
| kids, the GFCF diet may not make a significant | | | | * Improved skin tone, reduced rashes, i.e. eczema |
| change cognitively, but children become healthier | | | | * Dark circles under eyes improve |
| with improved digestive function. It is not | | | | * Improved pain tolerance, decreased self-injurious |
| uncommon for autism-spectrum children to have | | | | behavior |
| bowel problems such as chronic constipation or | | | | * Increased appetite for other foods |
| diarrhea. I have seen on many occasions chronic | | | | I recommend a trial period of at least 4 months |
| bowel problems resolve almost overnight when a | | | | on a 100% gluten and casein-free diet. By then |
| child is placed on the Gluten and casein-free diet. | | | | you should see many of the results listed above |
| What is Gluten and Casein? | | | | in your child. |