Why might a gluten and casein free diet help people with autism?
Scientists have noted that many people with autism have gastro-intestinal problems.
Studies are suggesting that people with autism may suffer from a metabolic abnormality whereby certain foods are not completely digested. Gluten (the protein from wheat and certain other cereals) and casein (the protein from milk) have been identified as the main proteins not being properly digested. During digestion, proteins are involved in the production of amino acids called peptides. The presence of these peptides drastically affects the motion of the intestines and can clog up the bowel so that constipation or diarrhoea could be the result. Some of these peptides are not sufficiently broken down in the intestines and are known to cross the gut wall into the bloodstream and some will reach the Central Nervous System (brain). There are suggestions that these peptides could affect transmission in all the systems of the brain and result in the symptoms of autism. These peptides are being interpreted in this instance as having a toxic effect rather than an allergic effect.
A useful starting point for those considering a gfcf diet is -
The Sunderland Protocol: A logical sequencing of biomedical interventions for the treatment of autism and related disorders. http://osiris.sunderland.ac.uk/autism/durham2.htm