For years, many parents of children with autism have advocated a diet
avoiding the proteins gluten and casein, but there had not been a scientific
review of evidence about this practice. Today Informed Health
Online has published a short report for parents summarising the state of
knowledge on this diet for autism.
According to Hilda Bastian, editor of the consumer web site, Informed Health
Online,"The jury is still out on whether or not diets free of gluten and casein
can reduce autism,but the little evidence that there is suggests it's possible
that it could help some children."
Researchers in the UK have analysed all studies on gluten-free and
casein-free diets for children with autism. After assessing more than 30
scientific articles,they concluded in a Cochrane review that there was only one
small trial of these diets that could be regarded as reliable scientific
evidence. The study involved only 20 children between the ages of five and
10.The children had both autism and abnormal levels of proteins in their
urine.
Dr Michael Ferriter, from the research team led by Claire Millward, said
that,"Unsurprisingly in such a small-scale study, the results for several
outcomes did not show a significant result. However, there was a significant
reduction in autistic traits in the children allocated to a diet eliminating
gluten and casein. This provides some support for the theory that abnormal
levels of these proteins may be responsible for some of the effects of autism,
but well-conducted large randomised trials are urgently needed."
'Autistic traits' is a measure that looks at a wide range of characteristics
including verbal and non-verbal communication, speaking when spoken to, eye
contact, repetitive talk and movements, and sharing of emotions. The average
level of autistic traits was halved in the children who were allocated to the
special diet.