Autism and diet?

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Hiya.

I just wanted to get some people's view on diet and what the affects are if you don't.
I understand we're all different and allergies and such will be different too.

I found that I am sensitive to quite a few things and I had this thing where my skin was terrible, Candida and I'm mostly over it now but still do a degree. I'm avoiding dairy and gluten and I don't want that to change but I wanted to know if the gut is more sensitive for those on the spectrum?

Would things like Trans fats have more of an affect to an autistic body like paracetamol does to an autistic brain?
Some doctor's paper I found stated that people living with autism have less pro biotics; any truth in that?

Just curious Thanks for reading.

imo the gluten-free diet is a crock.

http://www.autismsciencefoundation.org/ ... treatments

Normally think these diets are are bs unless someone has a proven allergy. But. I know my daughter's behavior gets super squirrelly if she has food dyes. Extra stimming, extra anxiety... so we eliminated food dyes.

Read the thread in my signature. It's all about the things you're asking about.

Then search my username and see the various articles I've posted since about research findings confirming my experiences.

Feel free to pm any questions/comments.

a few specific things perhaps, but nothing that can be seen as the 'cure diet'.

i myself am very sensitive to untreated milk (one sip will put me on the toilet for the next 2 days), but once treated (cooked in a meal, pasturzed for extended shelf-life, or even microwave-heated for a cappuchino) and i'm ok with it; i expect it's the caseïne rather then the more common lactose that gets me

I have read that food dyes can have an affect, too.

Really I wanted an idea if it was just me or if it was related to autism.
Thanks for your replies, guys.

People on the spectrum are more likely to have gastrointestinal irregularities, though is it not clear why that is.

RE: gluten and dairy - I recommend actually testing what you can and cannot eat. If you are allergic to milk but can eat gluten, it would be a shame to lose the pleasure of gluten from your life (or incur the expenditure of gluten-free alternatives). Similarly, if you're lactose intolerant, rather than allergic to milk or some such, then you can buy products that have been pre-treated with lactase - absolutely brilliant!

I'd be particularly suspicious of the candida diagnosis. It is frequently over-diagnosed by armchair experts who are peddling wares. If it has been done by your GP or a hospital doctor then great, you've found the problem. If not, get it properly checked out - you don't want to have placeboed away the early stages of something more serious!

I explained it in the thread in my signature. Maybe you should re-read it.



All good points.



IMO it's likely under diagnosed. Also, for the record - again - I'm peddling nothing. It doesn't take a doctor to diagnose it, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have lab tests confirm it.

I remember your thread well. It was riddled with elementary errors and is not a plausible explanation. You couldn;t even show that you had been affected by the condition you claimed to be affected with.


You aren't peddling anything, but you have invested a lot in your ideas and are not prepared to let them go. You don't want to admit that you've been taken for a ride by the quacks you consulted.

Candidiasis is probably not under-diagnosed. Oral and genital infections are very distinctive and easy to diagnose, as is nappy rash. Invasive infections are extremely rare aside from the severe imunocompromised, and it's pretty hard to not notice if you have it - you'd be in hospital.

Some interesting further reading (tl;dr: people have been prosecuted and fined for advocating treating a serious condition with unproven supplements rather than effective medicines)

Actually it is over diagnosed. The majority of people who think they have it, don't. If you compare the rates of diagnosis without the lab tests and the rates of diagnosis with lab tests, the results are startling. They found that the majority of people diagnosed without the lab tests can be undiagnosed with the lab test. Most people don't get the lab test though.
However, regardless, most people report a positive influence anyways and so most doctors assume that most of it is psychosomatic.
Essentially, most people who get the diagnosis without a lab test have a stomach ache or a string of stomach aches that could be caused by nearly anything or simply irritable bowel syndrome, so they look online and read that it is caused by glutten and try out the diet. They assume it is caused by glutten, so they assume the diet works and so it does because they have convinced themselves it does. They tell their doctor, make it official, and at the end of the day it's pointless, but if it stops the aches then the doctors might as well go with it.




Me too. I have the worst problem with Red 40.

The gluten-free diet for autism is a crock, yes. However, it does help people with celiac disease, and will help people who are allergic to wheat (because it involves not eating wheat, among other things). It's a lot like chelation that way; chelation is a perfectly legit therapy for some kinds of poisoning, but it doesn't do squat for autism.

What I can tell you about diet and autism is pretty simple: Autistic people's brains work best when we have enough food, and ideally, nutritious food, with good variety, which does not aggravate our sensory problems. There are many things that may keep us from getting that--executive dysfunction, a low income, difficulty getting and preparing food, problems with taste and texture, and many other problems. Some people don't get the help they need, and so they do the best they can, eating junk food just to be able to eat at all.

Part of taking care of yourself as an autistic person is to get as good a diet as you possibly can get, because that's the best fuel for your body and mind to run on.

However, that said, I think it is absolutely wrong for people to guilt-trip you with something along the lines of, "It's your own fault that your autism is causing so much trouble for you; you aren't eating right, and if you did, things would be better." Sometimes, people really honestly can't feed themselves any better than they are. And even if they can, they--like any neurotypical--have the right to choose to eat a less than perfect diet. It's exhausting to obsess too much over your diet--that will take up your time and make you miserable.

There aren't any easy answers, but in the end it's best to just say: Take care of yourself, physically and mentally, in whatever way you decide is best.

when i was diagnosed with AS i went onto a gluten, dairy, aspartame, msg, caretonoid, flavonoid free diet and it did help me in many many ways. I experienced an empathy and understanding of others that had been closed to me before. it was like a Chinese of light pouring into a dark room. i think it depends on the person. That was my journey and i was very grateful for it. Everyone has to do it their own way depending on what suits their life.

Which errors? I wrote only the truth & facts of the matter. How is it not plausible?

All of the more recent articles I've posted about Autism research have pointed in the direction of gut dysbiosis in the intestines as being the root cause. One, I recall, had further info about a specific chemical that's produced by the infectious bacteria that has been correlated to causing Autism symptoms. I hadn't considered that when I wrote my thread, but it seems perfectly reasonable to me that there's some byproduct/excretion from the bacteria that has a drug effect on the brain in addition to those of food chemicals.

How would you like me to have shown that I was affected by it? Cell phone pictures of bowel movements? Photos of the jellyfish-like things I passed out of my GI tract after using potent anti fungal herbs & vinegar enemas? Like I said in my thread, I was in a very very bad state and was interested only in healing myself & not focused on documenting the process with photos, lab tests etc and the like - I just Needed to be better ASAP and focused on doing that for myself.



IMO it's likely under diagnosed. Also, for the record - again - I'm peddling nothing. It doesn't take a doctor to diagnose it, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have lab tests confirm it.[/quote]
You aren't peddling anything, but you have invested a lot in your ideas and are not prepared to let them go. You don't want to admit that you've been taken for a ride by the quacks you consulted.

Candidiasis is probably not under-diagnosed. Oral and genital infections are very distinctive and easy to diagnose, as is nappy rash. Invasive infections are extremely rare aside from the severe imunocompromised, and it's pretty hard to not notice if you have it - you'd be in hospital.

Some interesting further reading (tl;dr: people have been prosecuted and fined for advocating treating a serious condition with unproven supplements rather than effective medicines)[/quote]

Why would I let them go? Like I told you before, I'm happier and healthier than I have ever been in my entire life. I continue to share this with this community of people who are afflicted by the same symptoms because I know first hand just how life changing it is. Of course I won't let that go - ever. And no, before you say it again, it's not the placebo effect. At all. Neither is the 20lbs of muscle I've put on in the last year now that I can digest the nutrients I consume. Neither is the $27,000.00+ I've saved & invested over the last year now that my brain has been functioning at a high enough level to allow me to work as much & as hard as I have been.

I haven't been taken for a ride & know no such quacks of which you speak. Further, as stated, the vast majority of this has been my own research/reading online. I learned the basics about plants & natural medicines from & because of my Herbalist friend and his Naturopathic doctor father, and got a one word guess at a diagnosis from him - but after that it was all me reading online and putting 2 and 2 together for myself.

at anyone prosecuting or fining me for improving my own health and telling others how I've managed to do so.

P.S. How are your IBS symptoms? Still just as strong as your Autism symptoms I reckon.. which is the likely reason you're so rigid in your thinking that you cannot accept something that's outside of your own paradigms of medical knowledge. Nonetheless, I'd be more than happy to help you with anything I've learned on this journey.

Cheers,
Richard

I just wanna say thank you to everybody for your input, it's very helpful and great that people have so much to say on the subject.

I found the very useful tips in the article Goldfish21 sent and gonna try that bees wax thing.

@The Walrus - I've never been tested for allergies but I will take your advice and do it. It would be nice to know once and for all. After my Anti-Candida diet I went back onto sugar, dairy and bread and after awhile it caught up with me again so I think I may have a reaction to milk and overreaction to inflammation.

I never got a diagnostic from a doctor. Actually, when I was really really bad with flu symptoms, nose bleeds and ear infections they told me I was fine. I cut out sugar and it made a difference and a few years later a health food shop told me about Candida. I am not 100% sure if it was Candida, though following the Anti-Candida plan worked for me, I still have problems with wheat and sugar but, not as bad.

I think I have an overreacting inflammation imbalance because anything that triggers inflammation, does. I'm taking Omega 3 and natural anti inflammabilities and I'm not sure which but I've been able to eat curry takeaway and chips with hardly any symptoms. Was about the time I was taking Horse Chestnut but it could be any of the above.

As for "The crock" concerning gluten - in general civilisation over consumes bready products and even by sprouting the grains before grinding makes it so much better for you. I'm gonna have a look at the link though because there is so much against gluten on the subject of autism that I haven't found much of an augment. I have to experiment with gluten and gluten free breads and see if there is a difference because it could just be my over acting inflammatory imbalances.

Again, thanks for the wonderful responses, guys.