The Effects of Dietary Intervention on Children with Autism: A Case Study. (original) (raw)
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Nutrients, 2018
This study involved a randomized, controlled, single-blind 12-month treatment study of a comprehensive nutritional and dietary intervention. Participants were 67 children and adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) ages 3-58 years from Arizona and 50 non-sibling neurotypical controls of similar age and gender. Treatment began with a special vitamin/mineral supplement, and additional treatments were added sequentially, including essential fatty acids, Epsom salt baths, carnitine, digestive enzymes, and a healthy gluten-free, casein-free, soy-free (HGCSF) diet. There was a significant improvement in nonverbal intellectual ability in the treatment group compared to the non-treatment group (+6.7 ± 11 IQ points vs. -0.6 ± 11 IQ points, = 0.009) based on a blinded clinical assessment. Based on semi-blinded assessment, the treatment group, compared to the non-treatment group, had significantly greater improvement in autism symptoms and developmental age. The treatment group had signific...
Dietary Approaches and Nutritional Complexities of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Dietary Approaches in Autism Spectrum Disorder, 2022
Background: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by poor social interaction, repetitive behavior, learning difficulties, cognitive issues, and unusual eating patterns. Different factors including genetic and environmental variables have been identified to increase the risk of developing ASD. Objective: The main objective of the present review is to investigate the dietary approaches and modifications to reduce the intricacies related to ASD. Results: Studies included in this review suggested that abnormalities in the gut microbiota are involved in the pathogenesis and severity of the disease. Medical nutrition therapy for ASD consists of excluding harmful food components such as gluten, casein, processed foods, and excessive sugars and increasing the consumption of omega-3 fats, vitamins and minerals, probiotics, and antioxidants. Furthermore, awareness regarding food labels might help to avoid food allergens in diet. Conclusion: Active dietary treatments including the use of dietary supplements and elimination of processed foods appear to reduce the complexities of ASD. Furthermore, support of health care professionals and adopting public health approaches might help to prevent adverse outcomes related to ASD. Future research is required to determine the prevalence of ASD and related outcomes in low/middle income countries as this area is highly neglected.
Nutritional Neuroscience, 2010
There is increasing interest in the use of gluten-and casein-free diets for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). We report results from a two-stage, 24-month, randomised, controlled trial incorporating an adaptive 'catch-up' design and interim analysis. Stage 1 of the trial saw 72 Danish children (aged 4 years to 10 years 11 months) assigned to diet (A) or non-diet (B) groups by stratified randomisation. Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule (ADOS) and the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale (GARS) were used to assess core autism behaviours, Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales (VABS) to ascertain developmental level, and Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder-IV scale (ADHD-IV) to determine inattention and hyperactivity. Participants were tested at baseline, 8, and 12 months. Based on per protocol repeated measures analysis, data for 26 diet children and 29 controls were available at 12 months. At this point, there was a significant improvement to mean diet group scores (time*treatment interaction) on sub-domains of ADOS, GARS and ADHD-IV measures. Surpassing of predefined statistical thresholds as evidence of improvement in group A at 12 months sanctioned the re-assignment of group B participants to active dietary treatment. Stage 2 data for 18 group A and 17 group B participants were available at 24 months. Multiple scenario analysis based on inter-and intra-group comparisons showed some evidence of sustained clinical group improvements although possibly indicative of a plateau effect for intervention. Our results suggest that dietary intervention may positively affect developmental outcome for some children diagnosed with ASD. In the absence of a placebo condition to the current investigation, we are, however, unable to disqualify potential effects derived from intervention outside of dietary changes. Further studies are required to ascertain potential best-and non-responders to intervention. The study was registered with ClincialTrials.gov, number NCT00614198.
Nutritional and Dietary Interventions of Autistic Spectrum Disorders: A Short Review
2019
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental condition of heterogeneous etiology, categorized by social communication deficits, repetitive or restrictive behaviors and interests. Epidemiological studies display that the incidence of autism is increasing, and the treatment of autism is vitally important. Therefore, the purpose of this article is to reorganize evidence on the effectiveness of vitamins, minerals, essential Fatty Acid, and a Gluten-Free and Casein-Free (GFCF) diet as a treatment for children with ASD. The existing nutrition and dietary therapies have been lectured and their effects on ASD symptoms have been discussed briefly considering specific research. Reviewing the studies showed that nutritional and dietary therapies improved the core symptoms of ASD. This review article investigates the importance of vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids and GFCF diet and the recent studies suggested that nutrition and dietary supplements may play an active role in ...
Report of a Meeting: Food, Nutrition, and Autism: From Soil to Fork
The American journal of clinical nutrition, 2024
Food and nutrition-related factors have the potential to impact development of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and quality of life for people with ASD, but gaps in evidence exist. On 10 November 2022, Tufts University’s Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and Food and Nutrition Innovation Institute hosted a 1-d meeting to explore the evidence and evidence gaps regarding the relationships of food and nutrition with ASD. This meeting report summarizes the presentations and deliberations from the meeting. Topics addressed included prenatal and child dietary intake, the microbiome, obesity, food-related environmental exposures, mechanisms and biological processes linking these factors and ASD, food-related social factors, and data sources for future research. Presentations highlighted evidence for protective associations with prenatal folic acid supplementation and ASD development, increases in risk of ASD with maternal gestational obesity, and the potential for exposure to environmental contaminants in foods and food packaging to influence ASD development. The importance of the maternal and child microbiome in ASD development or ASD-related behaviors in the child was reviewed, as was the role of discrimination in leading to disparities in environmental exposures and psychosocial factors that may influence ASD. The role of child diet and high prevalence of food selectivity in children with ASD and its association with adverse outcomes were also discussed. Priority evidence gaps identified by participants include further clarifying ASD development, including biomarkers and key mechanisms; interactions among psychosocial, social, and biological determinants; interventions addressing diet, supplementation, and the microbiome to prevent and improve quality of life for people with ASD; and mechanisms of action of diet-related factors associated with ASD. Participants developed research proposals to address the priority evidence gaps. The workshop findings serve as a foundation for future prioritization of scientific research to address evidence gaps related to food, nutrition, and ASD.
Eating habits and dietary patterns in children with autism
Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, 2014
The children with autism have feeding problems such as chewing, preference for the same food that often are responsible for the nutrient imbalance. In this study, we have analyzed the differences in food consumption (food frequency) and eating behavior (CEBI test) between children with autism and their typically developing peers. A statistically significant difference was observed between the two groups for the consumption of milk, yogurt, pulses, rice, and fruit juices (p B 0,005). We observed a significant difference in the analysis of CEBI results when considering the 6-to 9.5-year-aged subgroup with autism vs control subgroup (103.50 and 110.14, respectively). The advices given by nutritionists have proved crucial to improve eating habits in children with autism, in the follow-up.
Kenneth Aitken Book Review Dietary Interventions in Autism Spectrum Disorders
Reviews the book, Dietary interventions in autism spectrum disorders: Why they work when they do, why they don't when they don't by Kenneth J. Aitken (2009). The last decade has seen burgeoning interest in special diets for people with autism, witnessed by the phenomenal success of the magazine. This book with some excitement, but was left with a sense of disappointment and an opportunity wasted. The book gives a confusing first impression for most readers. The bulk of the book describes 10 dietary approaches, with little rationale to the order in which they are discussed, or the emphasis placed on each one. Some sections of the book extremely informative, encouraging me to explore new areas. some relatively new concepts such as the importance of metallothioneins, copper metabolism and aquaporin-4, and the role of diets in gene expression. The author draws some interesting speculative links between autism and various defects in fat or glucose transport and metabolism, and specifically Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome. This book may be enjoyed by practitioners who already have an interest in autism and diets, as close inspection will be rewarded by some new insights.It is a missed opportunity to put dietary interventions in autism on a firmer scientific footing, and is too complicated and disjointed for parents to follow without some basic grounding in biochemistry. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Nutrition Therapy Approaches in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Farabi Tıp Dergisi
Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that occurs in the early stages of development, characterized by limitations in social communication and interaction behaviors, repetitive limiting behaviors, and limited interests. Nutritional problems and gastrointestinal complaints seen in ASD have been known since the first diagnosis of the disease and are considered a feature of the disease. It is known that children with ASD have feeding problems five times more often than children with normal development. The most common nutritional problems seen in children with ASD are food selectivity, difficulty in eating skills, selective, strange, and unusual eating behavior, sensitivity to a particular presentation of food, avoidance of new foods, excessive and persistent intake of one type of food and meal time behavioral problems. Dietary approaches such as gluten-free, casein-free, ketogenic, special carbohydrate, Feingold, Candida body ecology, and eliminated allergy d...
Are therapeutic diets an emerging additional choice in autism spectrum disorder management?
World Journal of Pediatrics, 2018
Background A nutritional background has been recognized in the pathophysiology of autism and a series of nutritional interventions have been considered as complementary therapeutic options. As available treatments and interventions are not effective in all individuals, new therapies could broaden management options for these patients. Our aim is to provide current literature data about the effect of therapeutic diets on autism spectrum disorder. Data source A systematic review was conducted by two reviewers independently. Prospective clinical and preclinical studies were considered. Result Therapeutic diets that have been used in children with autism include ketogenic and gluten/casein-free diet. We were able to identify 8 studies conducted in animal models of autism demonstrating a beneficial effect on neurophysiological and clinical parameters. Only 1 clinical study was found showing improvement in childhood autism rating scale after implementation of ketogenic diet. With regard to gluten/casein-free diet, 4 clinical studies were totally found with 2 of them showing a favorable outcome in children with autism. Furthermore, a combination of gluten-free and modified ketogenic diet in a study had a positive effect on social affect scores. No serious adverse events have been reported. Conclusion Despite encouraging laboratory data, there is controversy about the real clinical effect of therapeutic diets in patients with autism. More research is needed to provide sounder scientific evidence.