Comments on: Food Sensitivities and Autism Spectrum Disorders: Is There a Link?

By: Laurie

Laurie — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 04:06:55 +0000

“Scientists have discovered that many of the children suffering from an autistic spectrum disorder have problems with the digestion and absorption of certain foods. ”

I’m wondering if you could add the link to that discovery so that I can read the whole paper/research for myself. Thanks.

By: Katie

Katie — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 03:50:18 +0000

I’m convinced the root cause of the proteins you speak about is the processing which breaks down the proteins into amino acids before digestion. The free glutamic acid gets readily converted to monosodium glutamate (MSG) which is causing the numerous chronic health issues we see today from autism to depression to obesity high on the rise. It explains also how people seem “to crave” the very food their sensitive to – no there highly addicted as a result of ever increasing concentrations of MSG. I’ve become convinced of this root cause through much reading and first hand experience with myself and my daughter who was diagnosed autistic. We put my daughter on the GFCF diet and did see marked improvement. I noticed her having a reaction to gluten/dairy free cookies on several occasions – that contained natural flavors (i.e. MSG!). As soon as we removed these cookies from her diet (and we had/have very tight control of what she eats) her auditory and visual sensitivities went away and her behavior returned back to a sweet girl (not one going through horrible tantrums). These sorts of experimental experiences were too numerous to count. The MSG root cause is also consistent with the above comment that we’ve had wheat in our diet for centuries – but the over processing and adding gluten to wheat products has not been with us for centuries and is plaguing our nation. I’ve been trying to remove MSG concentration loads in our family’s diet – it took me three months of quite a bit of will power to overcome the food addiction associated with breads/pasta/ and basically processed and canned foods. It is not easy but well worth the liberation for any autistic child or anybody looking for a healthier lifestyle. Good health to you all!

By: Havah

Havah — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 14:28:37 +0000

Having my degree in archaeology, I find this rise in nutrition awareness very interesting. While most assessments regarding our bodies’ receptivity to casiens and glutens make sense, I’m not sure if I agree that they are complete gibberish to our bodies. Wheat has been part of the diets of certain people groups for mellenia. Granted, barley has been more so and it IS lower in gluten, but it is not gluten-free and was the leading foodsource in the Fertile Crescent. Similarly, humans have been pretty savvy at collecting milk for a protein/fat source from several livestock animals since the dawn of civilization (though goat and horse milk is closer to our own than cow’s milk). I guess all I’m trying to say is that there’s a lot more to this than “perfect diet.” Or vaccines. Or media. Or (as we put it in Microsoft-land), “Nerds marrying nerds.” We’re introducing a LOT of substances and stimuli to our bodies that previous generations never had the luxury of being forced to cope with.

By: Christen

Christen — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:45:07 +0000

Minivan Mama – You are so right! I’m not sure that I am personally ready to remove those foods from our diet – but now that I am beginning to understand the link between certain chronic healthy issues and food intolerances, I’m trying to keep it top of mind.

And Dr. Sharp – I always enjoy your insight and we could all learn a LOT from your research!! It is interesting that we cannot taste starch as a stand alone food. Never thought of that before…..

By: Minivan Mama

Minivan Mama — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:32:32 +0000

In my VERY LIMITED (thanks to two little ones) time researching nutrition, I’ve been amazed to find so many of the foods that are touted as fundamental parts of a healthy diet are not at all: cow’s milk being one, as well as soy and wheat. And sugar and fat are not the devil! You just need to get them from healthy sources such as honey, pure maple syrup, coconut oil, fatty fish and eggs.

By: Dr. Sharp

Dr. Sharp — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 04:50:42 +0000

Removing dairy & wheat (gluten) is also a great way to stop & prevent many ear infections. We are the only species that continues to drink milk past infancy. Also, humans are the only species to drink milk from another animal. Last time I checked, humans are VERY different from cows. Lastly, I’m currently avoiding all sugars & foods that act like sugar. One of those foods that act like sugar is grains like wheat because it’s a starch. The more I research, the more I am starting to see that our bodies are not designed nor meant to process starch. I would actually take sugar (real sugar, not the corn syrup junk) over starch. Our tongue is designed to taste sugar, but we can’t taste starch at all. Odd, huh?!