Our discussion on Biomedical Issues has already noted that autism has been explained as a "genetically influenced, environmentally triggered disease of the brain and body, and is treatable".
Everyone's general health is hugely influenced by one's diet. "We are what we eat" is an accepted truism. This is particularly true for people with autism, given the influence diet has on gut and digestion problems that are so frequently part of the autistic person's profile.
Bookshops are now full of cook-books that offer tasty and innovative ways of sourcing and cooking any restricted sets of foods, if so required by diet. "Junk food" is an oxymoron - it is either junk or food. But having a diet that is as free of processed foods, preservatives, added sugar, additives and fillers is highly recommended. Eat organically as much as possible, despite the added cost.
Constipation
It is self-evident that this is a problem that needs to be fixed asap. Constipation is an obstacle to the appropriate absorption and use of nutrients and the elimination of toxins. And that doesn't count the pain caused to the person by constipation. Arguably, this and sleep problems are the first things that need to be addressed in a young child, if they exist. Everything else should wait.
Personal preferences will apply here, but the list of foods that help with constipation include (in order of success, apparently):
- Fluids
- Prunes
- Fibre
- Vitamin C
- Oils (olive and caster)
- Probiotics
- Enemas / Suppositories
- Prescription drugs ...
GF/CF
The most frequently-quoted diet recommended to people with autism is a Gluten Free and Casein Free diet, referred to as GF/CF. This is because of an inability to digest gluten and/or casein. Gluten refers to a mixture of proteins contained in wheat and is found in numerous food products. Casein is a milk protein, which means any dairy product contains casein.
Converting to a GF/CF diet is often seen as a near-impossibility by some parents. However, there are now such a wide variety of specialist products available in our supermarkets that it is no longer the cullinary challenge that it once was. The diet needs strict application, and improvements are unlikely to be seen for several weeks.
Yeast & Sugars
Yeast, or more specifically Candida, is another major problem for many people with autism. Those with impaired immune systems and inflamed intestines are vulnerable to this. Infections (most frequently, ear infections) lead to a regular use of antibiotics, which have the side-effect of destroying the good or "probiotic" flora. Eliminating yeast and taking probiotics can have huge benefits, and the diet needs to reflect this exclusion of yeast. Reducing the level of sugar is part of this, given the fact that all sugars (including sucrose, glucose, fructose and honey) feed yeast. Unfortunately, this restriction of sugars is really hard to apply, and includes fruit and fruit juices (except pears and fresh berries, for some reason).
SCD
For some people who do not appear to respond to the GF/CF/SF (gluten, casein, sugar free) diet, you can progress to an even more restrictive diet. The Specific Carbohydrate Diet was promoted in Elaine Gottschall's book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle, and is grain-free and lactose-free. SCD works by severely limiting the availability of carbohydrates to yeast and bacteria. Some parents report great results and can be considered, if GF/CF/SF doesn't get the required results.