Diet for Autism, Lacking Evidence of Behavioral Enhancement
In a groundbreaking study, researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center have explored the impact of a gluten-free and casein-free diet on children with autism. The study, led by Dr. Susan Hyman, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, aimed to uncover whether such a diet could improve behaviour, sleep, or bowel patterns in these children.
The research involved 22 children between 2 ½ and 5 ½ years old, with 14 completing the intervention. Parents kept a standard diary of food intake, sleep, and bowel habits during the study, while children were also assessed through videotaped scoring of a standardized play session with a research assistant.
Contrary to expectations, the study did not demonstrate any significant improvements in the areas mentioned. However, the researchers noted that some subgroups of children, particularly those with significant gastrointestinal symptoms, might receive some benefit from dietary changes.
The study was meticulously designed to control for other interventions and ensure that any observed changes were due to dietary alterations. Children were given snacks containing gluten, casein, both, or placebo in randomized order, with each child receiving each snack three times. The snacks were carefully engineered to look, taste, and feel the same.
Despite the lack of overall improvements, the study did reveal a small increase in social language and interest in interaction after the challenges with gluten or casein on the Ritvo Freeman Real Life Rating Scale. However, this finding did not reach statistical significance.
The study was funded by the NIH's National Institutes of Mental Health Studies to Advance Autism Treatment Research and National Center for Research Resources (NCRR). It is the most controlled diet research in autism to date and will be presented at the International Meeting for Autism Research in Philadelphia on May 22.
While the University of Rochester study did not provide definitive evidence for the benefits of a gluten-free and casein-free diet in children with autism, it does contribute valuable insights to the ongoing debate. Further research is needed to fully understand any potential benefits or drawbacks of these diets for autism.
- Future studies in the field of health-and-wellness and mental health might consider exploring the potential benefits of a gluten-free and casein-free diet, particularly for children with autism who exhibit significant gastrointestinal symptoms.
- The recently published study on science, nutrition, and fitness-and-exercise suggests that while a gluten-free and casein-free diet may not significantly improve behavior, sleep, or bowel patterns in children with autism, it could potentially have a positive impact on social language and interest in interaction for some subgroups.
