ASD and Gluten:The controversy in a Gluten Free DietBy: Irene Leal

© 2016, Irene Leal

Purpose:Inform, educate, and empathize the audience on the affect Gluten has on several individulas living with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

© 2016, Irene Leal

Introduction

Today it has become the norm for expecting parents to fear the word AUTISM.

The Centers for Disease and Control state that 1 in 68 children has some form of ASD (cdc.gov).

With this number being so high 95% of parents are turning to certain food restrictions like Gluten in their childrens everyday diet (Nadiv, K. 2015).

With it’s popularity comes controversy which has led to numerous studies and debates on whether a Gluten Free diet can benefit a child with autism.

© 2016, Irene Leal

What is ASD?

ASD is the medical term given to individuals diagnosed with any form of Autism.

According to the DSM-5, ASD is a spectrum of autism related disorders like Autistic Disorder, Aspergers Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder (American Psychiatric Disorder, 2013).

Common symptoms with ASD can vary from mild to severe. Their is a deficit in

Communication

Socialization

Behavior

Sensory

© 2016, Irene Leal

What is GLUTEN?

The FDA recognizes Gluten as a mixture of proteins (gliadin & glutenin) that are found in many breads.

WHEAT, BARLEY, RYE, and anything made with these grains like pasta (FDA, 2016).

It’s purpose is to help dough keep it’s form when it rises.

It is also found in processed meats, chips, sauces, beer, soups, beauty products & medication.

© 2016, Irene Leal

ASD and Celiac disease

Celiac disease is a life long autoimmune disease where people can not tolerate Gluten because it damages the villi in the small intestine (National Institute of Health, 2015).

The gastrointestinal issues in Celiac patients are also reported in ASD individuals .

Known as Non-celiac gluten sensitivity

The Pharmaceutical Journal published an article that looked

into how many childhood developmental disorders where

showing symptoms of celiac disease but not proof of celiac

in bowel testings (Dodou,K. 2014).

© 2016, Irene Leal

Hypothesis According to 1999 preliminary findings by P. Whiteley, ASD children are having a hard time breaking down the protiens found in Gluten.

Many state that children with ASD also developed a “leaky gut” from antibiotics.

This discomfort then leads to behavior disturbances and psychological abnormalities (Whiteley, P. 1999).

Eliminating Gluten improves the disturbances associated with a “leaky gut”.

© 2016, Irene Leal

The “leaky gut”

According to RD, M. Hagel our gut contains millions of

microbiomes where 80% of the immune system exhist.

- The National Institute of Health found that 97% of children with an

ASD diagnosis suffered from gastrointestinal distress in a 2012

study (NIH,2012).

© 2016, Irene Leal

Gluten and it’s effect on Autism

- The CDC estimated that children with ASD have a 3.5 GREATER chance of having diarrhea and constipation.

In support of M. Hagels findings an article in Neuroscience states

that eliminating Gluten in ASD individuals can improve the gut

balance in individuals with digestive issues (Li,Q. 2016).

In addition, an article in Pediatric Adolescent Health Care identified ASD as co-morbid with many GI difficulties and a Gluten Free diet can improve these symtoms (Nadiv, K. 2015). © 2016, Irene Leal

Gluten Free Contoversy

Based of a double blind study done at the University of Rochester on 22 children with ASD no significant improvement were seen after a 12 week Gluten Free challenge (Hyman, S. 2015).

Many children with ASD have a low intake of nutritious foods because of other sensory issues and eliminating fortified grains that contain gluten puts them at a higher risk of malnutrition (Nadiv, K. 2015)

The Univesity of Rochester also noted that children that were put on a Gluten Free diet were also adding supplements to their diet. This if not monitored can be deadly with an overload of certain minerals (Hyman, S. 2015).

© 2016, Irene Leal

Gluten FreeStudies proved that ASD was affected by GLUTEN when abnormal levels of peptides from Gluten where found in urine samples (Whiteley, P. 1999).

Gluten Free diet took center stage

More recently, Pennesi & Klein (2012) conducted a study on 387 ASD children on a strict GF diet.

Improvements were seen in all in the areas of social behavior, digestion, sleep, attention, sensory, and language (Pennesi & Klein, 2012).

Gluten Free foods

In 2013 the FDA stated that foods stating they are “Gluten Free” needed to not have no more than 20 parts per million of gluten (National Institute for Health).

Corn,flax,legumes,lentils,nuts,potatoes,quinoa, potato, rice,seeds,soy,unprocessed meats,tofu,eggs, cheese,fish,fruit, vegetables, milk, yogurt

© 2016, Irene Leal

Sample Gluten Free Menu

Many packaged GF foods are expensive.

Stick to naturally GF free foods

Important to aim for 3 grams of fiber per serving to make up for the lack of fortified grains

Brown rice, buckwheat,flaxseed meal,quinoa

Breakfast: egg omelet with cheese, strawberries and blueberries, orange juice

Lunch: rice cake with peanut butter, cheese stick, raisins, milk

Snack: carrots with hummus

Dinner: tacos with ground turkey or beef, luttuce, tomato, cheese, black beans, milk

© 2016, Irene Leal

ConclusionWith ASD on the rise and research pointing at genetics and environment, parents are turning to what many call “The Gluten Craze”.

With so many individuals with celiac not carrying an ASD diagnosis, researchers realize how complex the disorder is.

Research suggest that a gluten free diet can benefit the overall health and improve symptoms in ASD children.

Yet, it is important to implement a GF diet with the guidance of a RD. Malnutrition can develop in children with ASD when eliminating fortified grains. © 2016, Irene Leal

ReferencesAutism. (2016). Retrieved April 03, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html

Dodu, K., & Whiteley, P. (2014). Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity—a look at the evidence behind

the headlines. Pharmaceutical Journal, 292, 292.

http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/digestive-diseases/celiac-disease/Pages/facts.aspx

Hagel, M. (2016). Autism-The Role of the Microbiome. Autism.

Hyman, S. L., Stewart, P. A., Foley, J., Peck, R., Morris, D. D., Wang, H., & Smith, T. (2016).

The Gluten-Free/Casein-Free Diet: A Double-Blind Challenge Trial in Children with Autism. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 46(1), 205-220.

Li, Q., & Zhou, J. M. (2016). The microbiota–gut–brain axis and its potential therapeutic role in

autism spectrum disorder. Neuroscience, 324, 131-139.

Pennesi, C. M., & Klein, L. C. (2012). Effectiveness of the gluten-free, casein-free diet for children

diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder: based on parental report. Nutritional neuroscience, 15(2), 85-91.

Seneff, S. (2014, June) Is roundup the toxic chemical that’s making us all sick? Slideshow

Presented at the Autism One Conference December, 2014. MIT: CSAIL.

Whiteley, P., Rodgers, J., Savery, D., & Shattock, P. (1999). A gluten-free diet as an intervention

for autism and associated spectrum disorders: Preliminary findings. Autism, 3(1), 45–65.

© 2016, Irene Leal