Can a healthy diet help autistic children to thrive?

0
Can a healthy diet help autistic children to thrive?

“The brain needs omega-3 in order to function optimally,” says Ābele. “Everyone benefits from adding good fats into the diet but especially children and adults with autism spectrum disorder, ADHD, anxiety, panic attacks and depression.”

Don’t eat gluten

Dr Adrien Eshraghi of the University of Miami believes that one of the causes of behavioural problems in autistic children can be underlying pain, stemming from gastrointestinal problems. “It’s understandable that if you have very bad belly pain, and you cannot express yourself, this will manifest itself as inappropriate behaviour,” he says.

One commonly tried nutritional intervention which may help to reduce this discomfort, is to eliminate gluten. Dr Eshraghi explains that some studies have shown that autistic children do not metabolise gluten in the right way, ultimately impairing the production of a crucial chemical called glutathione which is involved in immune system function.  

“Glutathione is a strong antioxidant,” Dr Eshraghi continues. “And we know that autistic kids have a high level of oxidative stress and inflammation in their body which contributes to these gastrointestinal issues. Eliminating gluten can help the body to produce more glutathione.”

Don’t eat porridge

As well as the GAPS diet, another dietary regime which has been studied in autistic children is the so-called specific carbohydrate diet. This is based on evidence that autistic children can find complex carbohydrates – such as oats and starchy vegetables like potatoes – difficult to digest due to the composition of their gut microbiome. 

“Complex carbohydrates are very difficult to digest for an unhealthy gut,” says Ābele. 

She explains that with many of the body’s key digestive enzymes not working properly, molecules which are the byproducts of undigested carbohydrates can end up floating around in the large intestine where they are fermented by pathogenic bacteria into toxins. 

Because many autistic children also suffer from a leaky gut, where the small intestine is more permeable than it should be, these toxins then leach back into the blood where they can ultimately trigger symptoms such as bloating or pain.

Ābele says that removing these carbohydrates, either temporarily or permanently, can give the gut a chance to recover. 

Do eat fermented foods 

As well as excluding complex carbohydrates, the GAPS diet also encourages the consumption of fermented foods which can be a natural source of probiotics, potentially helping to shift the composition of the microbiome to a less inflammatory state.

“Fermented foods are possibly of some benefit,” says Prof Adams. “There have been about 10 studies of probiotics, and they seem to help a little bit. 

Do take supplements

Some companies are already developing specific microbiome-targeting drugs with the aim of reducing irritability traits in autistic children, including aggression and tantrums, which researchers have suggested may be linked to the consequences of a leaky gut. A US company called Axial Therapeutics has developed an experimental product, which they describe as a tasteless and odourless powder that can be mixed with soft food and taken orally. It is designed to bind to toxins in the gut and help absorb them before they can leak back into the bloodstream. The company is currently testing it in ongoing clinical trials in autistic children in the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

Dr Tallman Ruhm’s paper also noted how different research groups have been investigating the possible benefits of various dietary supplements including vitamin D, vitamin B12, folate and carnitine for autistic people. Prof Adams says that the carnitine research is based around growing interest in the role of mitochondria, the cellular power plants which generate energy, in autism and related neurodevelopmental conditions.

In the past 12 years, scientists have accumulated various clues suggesting that mitochondria may function differently in some autistic people. A 2015 study from researchers at Drexel University College of Medicine detected low levels of mitochondrial activity in a third of autistic children, while a research collaboration from Swiss, Belgian, Dutch and American scientists in 2016 found that people with mitochondrial disease may have an elevated risk of autism or autism traits. 

Carnitine is of interest, being one of the key nutrients for proper mitochondrial function, helping to transport fatty acids into mitochondria where they are used to generate energy. “We did a randomised, controlled study [in 2018] showing carnitine [along with a gluten-free, casein-free, and soy-free diet and other vitamin, mineral and fatty acid supplements] is helpful to autistic children,” says Prof Adams. “A second study then doubled the dose and gave supplements for twice as long and found even more benefit. With many autistic children, the mitochondria don’t work very well because of bad gut bacteria producing toxins which poison them. So they need extra support to function and produce energy for the body and brain.”

link

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *