A Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet Not Recommended for Children on the Autism Spectrum

Looking across ALL recent trials to date (not just 1-2 studies), a strict gluten-free/casein-free diet was NOT shown to improve outcomes for kids on the spectrum.

Should kids on the spectrum have diets free of specific proteins in grains (gluten) or dairy (casein) that are found in tons of food?

According to the latest research in 2021, no.

Taking a big-picture view of all studies matters because good science says we should see positive changes repeated across more than one researcher or group of people. And in this case, it just wasn’t.

In fact, among those studies which looked at adverse side effects of the diet (not all even collected this), some children had increased stomach problems, weight loss, and sleeplessness on GF/CF diets.

“But my friend’s child did the diet, and she said his behavior improved.”
“Cutting out [insert food] helped me personally.”

Awesome! I would never argue with someone’s experience.

But experience has limitations. For example . . .

My grandma ate pretty much only dessert for much of her adult life (she used to order peach cobbler for lunch every day at the diner), and she lived to almost 90 without any chronic diseases. Would I recommend the Gloria diet for other grandmas? I would not. Her experience was real, she had good results, but a single person’s experience is not a medical recommendation. In her case, it would likely be a disaster for most people.

As a scientist, I look for what is
✔︎ tested
✔︎ safe
✔︎ proven most effective for the majority

We know that MOST of our autistic kiddos already have restricted diets and are at an increased risk for deficiency and eating challenges.  

Taking entire foods/food groups away without medical cause (i.e., a doctor saying this is necessary and a good idea) is an extreme approach that can backfire if not done correctly. If you are concerned that your child has a true food allergy, seek an appointment with an allergist to get IgE testing.

Otherwise, keep calm and carry on!