Autism and Nutrition

April 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment

The prevalence of Autism has been increasing for the last ten years, and almost every day there is mention of it in newspapers, TV shows or parent blogs. Specialists around the country are desperately trying to understand why it is increasing, and how to manage it. As a pediatrician who cares for many children with some degree of autism spectrum disorder, I spend a lot of time trying to find a treatment to improve the life of that patient and their family.

Nutritional healing is at the center of the work I do, and there have been several strategies proposed to alter children’s’ diets in order to improve or even cure the disorder. The diets can be organized based on whether they are “restriction diets” that will eliminate potential immune stimuli and allergens; these include yeast-free, gluten free, dairy free and casein free diets, or “supplement” diets that will boost the child’s cognitive and processing potential such as vitamins A, B6, B12 and C, magnesium, folic acid, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, and various minerals.

Despite consistent medical reports that there is no scientific evidence to support dietary treatments, parental anecdotal evidence remains strong. Clearly, the safest and most popular autism diet is the gluten free, and possibly yeast lowering diet.

A gluten free diet excludes the protein gluten, which is found in many grains including:
Read more

Posted by Dr. Natalie Geary MD | Filed Under Dr Geary