One of the most important issues faced by parents having children affected with ASD is eating disorders. This will result in lower gut health thereby affecting the general health of the child. In Ayurveda we manage this gap by suggesting & cultivating healthy food habits for the kids.
A gluten-free/casein-free
diet is also known as the GFCF diet.
It is one of several alternative treatments for children with autism. When following
this strict elimination diet, all foods containing gluten (found in wheat,
barley and rye) and casein (found in milk and dairy products) are removed from
the child's daily food intake. The benefit of a gluten-free/casein-free
diet is based on the theory that children with autism may have an allergy or
high sensitivity to foods containing gluten or casein.
Children with autism, according to the
theory, process peptides and proteins in foods containing gluten and casein
differently than other people do. Hypothetically, this difference in processing
may exacerbate autistic symptoms. Some believe that the brain treats these
proteins like false opiate-like chemicals. The reaction to these chemicals,
they say, leads a child to act in a certain way. The idea behind the use of the
diet is to reduce symptoms and improve social and cognitive behaviours and
speech.
Autistic children can be notoriously
fussy eaters, this diet may be very difficult to implement. Also,
some supporters of this diet suggest parents stick with the diet for a year
ideally, which can be a long time simply to evaluate this type of intervention.
Cutting any food from one’s diet
unnecessarily and without guidance from a dietitian or other medical
professional may lead to deficiencies in essential nutrients. There have only
been a few scientific studies regarding whether a gluten and casein-free diet
is effective for those with ASD. It is important to make sure that the child
(or other people) receives ample fibre, vitamins,
and minerals. Ayurveda feeding practices and dietary interventions will help
your child to have a healthy gut and a healthy brain.
At Jeevaniyam once we adopt these kinds
of diet changes and make sure there are no deficiencies for our young
patients, the majority of their parents reported significant improvements in
various aspects of their child’s wellbeing on a gluten and/or milk-free diet
with significant improvements in bowel habits, general health, sleeping
patterns, concentration and social communication.
