Suffering From an Autism Food Allergy?

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An autism food allergy is a very serious problem. In fact, autism induced by

allergies has recently been identified and occurs when a child's diet influences

his or her autism symptoms. The children who are at the highest risk of an

impact from an autism food allergy are those who have regressive autism.

Regressive autism is the form of the disorder that occurs when the child's first

symptoms appear at around the age of two after having developed normally until

then. Other autistic children at risk are those with behavioral and neurological

problems in conjunction with serious digestive problems.

Kids with an autism food allergy struggle to digest essential food proteins such

as gluten and casein. Gluten is a protein found in many kinds of grains, such as

wheat, and is frequently added to food products during the manufacturing

process. Casein is a protein found in milk and is also added to other foods as

they are manufactured.

Some children with food allergies are unable to properly digest gluten and

casein. These proteins are digested only partially and leave a byproduct to

which the children react in a very similar way to the drug morphine. This

substance is able to slip through the wall of the digestive tract, a condition

known as 'leaky gut syndrome', and circulates through the bloodstream and into

the brain.

When a child has an intolerance to gluten or casein an altered protein can also

be found in the urine after the child consumed food containing these two

compounds. It is believed that this occurs as a result of the creation and

absorption of the morphine-like chemical created by the body of the child when

trying to digest gluten or casein. The child may then behave in a " spaced out "

way. Furthermore, it can create somewhat of an addiction in these children,

causing them to crave foods containing gluten and casein.

Because children with an autism food allergy struggle to digest food properly,

they are also unable to remove toxins and chemicals as efficiently as they

should from their body. This can include not only waste in the traditional sense

of digestion, but also fertilizers, pesticides, cleansers and detergents,

pollution, artificial flavorings and colorings, preservatives, chemical food

additives, and other forms of chemical that can build up and become toxic over

time.

Symptoms of an autism food allergy usually appear within an autistic child at

around the age of three. Though the symptoms may come about as a result of

intolerance to pollutants in the food, others will react to chemical additives,

and again others will react to the basic composition of the food. Though

reactions can be caused by essentially anything, the most common allergies are

to foods such as corn, citrus fruits, wheat, dairy and sugar.

Though the symptoms of an autism food allergy may not be obvious to those around

the child, medical testing and observation shows frequent diarrhea, bloating,

low blood sugar, excessive sweating, redness in the ears and face, rhinitis

(runny nose), the inability to regulate the body temperature, and dark circles

under the eyes are common.

The only way to treat an autism food allergy is to pinpoint the food of foods

that are causing the problem and then eliminate it from the diet entirely. It is

important to note that this won't cure autism, however symptoms will often

improve substantially when a diet free of those items that cause a reaction is

followed. Parents will still be faced with the same issues in socializing and

communicating with autistic children even after an altered diet is introduced,

and change will still need to be carefully managed.

To discover which foods your child reacts to, an exclusion diet is a good way to

determine what items are potentially contributing to their autism symptoms and

digestive issues. However, before starting an exclusion diet ensure you consult

a qualified health professional to ensure your child continues to receive

adequate nutrition.

Once you have the go ahead, start by eliminating the common culprits i.e. wheat,

dairy, sugar, corn and citrus fruits for a two to four week period and then

slowly reintroduce the removed items one at a time and monitor behaviors and

digestive changes carefully.

This process can help identify those food items that are problematic for your

child. An alternative is to have blood testing done to look for antibodies that

are produced when an allergic reaction takes place. Your doctor should be able

to arrange this for you or refer you to the appropriate professional.

There is currently a study about to get underway being carried out by

researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston that

will be scientifically studying the effects of gluten and casein on autistic

children which should help to answer the autism food allergy question.

Autism Causes, Symptoms and Treatments: http://www.autismnva.tk/