THREE AUTISM PROGRAMS
These first two are detailed in the Autism Clinic Program.
2 or 3 days a week of IV therapy and 5 days a week of all services.
2 or 3 days a week of oral therapy and 5 days a week of all services.
Home Program Instructions and products that we can supply you with at home.
Over the phone help.
More information on AUTISM click the links below
Diet and Nutrition Only
We make it easy. We send you a step by step program,
all the nutrition and recommended diet, and you slowly make changes at home.
Of course, the services below can not be included unless you have them in your local area.
Whatever is available we will add to the weekly routine.
Autism Program & Supplements will change weekly
The GFCF Diet: A Potential Intervention for Autism
In recent years, there has been growing interest in the role of nutrition in the management of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). It is believed that children with ASD have an overactive immune system, which can lead to inflammation and exacerbate their symptoms. Certain foods, particularly those containing gluten and casein, have been identified as contributing to this immune response. As a result, the GFCF diet has been developed as a potential intervention for individuals with ASD.
The GFCF diet is a dietary intervention that involves the elimination of gluten and casein from the individual's diet. Gluten is a protein found in wheat and other grains, while casein is a protein found in dairy products. The diet is also sometimes referred to as the gluten-free dairy-free (GFDF) diet. The elimination of these proteins is thought to help heal the gut and calm the immune system, resulting in improvements in ASD symptoms.
Parents who have implemented the GFCF diet for their children with ASD have reported positive outcomes such as improved cognition, decreased aggression and anxiety, and improved quality of sleep. Additionally, many parents report that their children experience a lifting of brain fog after implementing the diet.
The gut-brain connection has been well-established, with researchers discovering the possible role of the microbiota-gut-brain axis in autism. Dysbiosis, or an altered microbial composition favoring pathogenic microbes over beneficial ones in the gut, has been found in children with ASD. Moreover, gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are four times more prevalent in children with ASD compared to the general population. These symptoms include constipation, diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain, reflux, vomiting, gaseousness, foul-smelling stools, and food allergies.
While the GFCF diet has gained popularity among parents of children with ASD, there is still ongoing research to determine the efficacy of the intervention. Nevertheless, the potential benefits of the diet, as reported anecdotally, warrant further investigation.
Scientific Evidence Points Towards The GFCF Diet Being Beneficial for Those With Autism.
According to Pennesi and Klein's study on the effectiveness of the gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) based on parental report, parents reported that a GFCF diet was more effective in improving ASD behaviors, physiological symptoms, and social behaviors for those children with gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms and allergy symptoms compared to those without these symptoms (1). Specifically, parents noted improved GI symptoms in their children as well as increases in their children's social behaviors, such as language production, eye contact, engagement, attention span, requesting behavior, and social responsiveness, when they strictly followed a GFCF diet.
Klein, one of the authors of the study, suggested that autism may involve the GI tract and the immune system, in addition to being a neurological disease (1). She also highlighted the strong connections between the immune system and the brain, which are mediated through multiple physiological symptoms (1). A majority of the pain receptors in the body are located in the gut, so adhering to a GFCF diet may reduce inflammation and discomfort that may alter brain processing, making the body more receptive to ASD therapies (1).
The study found that parents who eliminated all gluten and casein from their children's diets reported that a greater number of their children's ASD behaviors, physiological symptoms, and social behaviors improved after starting the diet compared to children whose parents did not eliminate all gluten and casein (1). The study also found that parents who implemented the diet for six months or less reported that the diet was less effective in reducing their child's ASD behaviors (1).
This study is supported by another research paper on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) website, which highlights the possible role of the microbiota-gut-brain-axis in autism (2). The paper suggests that dysbiosis, an altered microbial composition favoring pathogenic microbes over beneficial ones in the gut, is often observed in people with autism, and GI symptoms are four times more prevalent in children with ASD compared to the normal population (2).
References:
- Pennesi CM, Klein LC. Effectiveness of the gluten-free, casein-free diet for children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder: based on parental report. Nutr Neurosci. 2012 Sep;15(5):85-91. doi: 10.1179/1476830512Y.0000000002. PMID: 22825366.
- Kang DW, Adams JB, Gregory AC, Borody T, Chittick L, Fasano A, Khoruts A, Geis E, Maldonado J, McDonough-Means S, Pollard EL, Roux S, Sadowsky MJ, Lipson KS, Sullivan MB, Caporaso JG, Krajmalnik-Brown R. Microbiota Transfer Therapy alters gut ecosystem and improves gastrointestinal and autism symptoms: an open-label study. Microbiome. 2019 Mar 19;7(1):45. doi: 10.1186/s40168-019-0642-8. PMID: 30890158; PMCID: PMC6425007.
In a follow-up study titled "Autistic Syndromes and Diet," a dietary intervention was applied to 15 subjects with autistic syndromes, pathological urine patterns, and increased levels of peptides found in their 24-hour urine samples. The peptides, which were thought to have a negative pharmacological effect on attention, brain maturation, social interaction, and learning, were probably derived from gluten and casein.
The researchers' hypothesis was that a diet without these proteins would facilitate learning. Before the diet, social behavior, as well as cognitive and communicative skills, were assessed. The subjects were closely followed for a year, after which their urine was retested blind, and the assessment of behaviors and skills was repeated. Further retesting was made four years after the onset of dietary intervention.
After one year, normalization of urine patterns and peptide levels was found. Likewise, a decrease in odd behavior and an improvement in the use of social, cognitive, and communicative skills were registered. This positive development continued through the next three years, though at a lower rate. This study was published in a peer-reviewed publication by TaylorAndFrancis.
The study titled "Autistic Syndromes and Diet: a follow-up study" aimed to investigate the impact of dietary intervention on individuals with autistic syndromes. The study involved 15 participants who exhibited pathological urine patterns and increased levels of peptides, possibly derived from gluten and casein, which were thought to have negative effects on attention, brain maturation, social interaction, and learning.
The hypothesis was that a diet free of these proteins would facilitate learning, improve social behavior, cognitive and communicative skills. Before the diet, the participants' social behavior, cognitive and communicative skills were assessed, and they were closely monitored for a year. After this period, their urine was retested blind, and the assessment of their behaviors and skills was repeated.
Further retesting was conducted four years after the start of the dietary intervention, and it was found that normalization of urine patterns and peptide levels occurred after one year. There was a decrease in odd behavior, and an improvement in social, cognitive, and communicative skills was observed.
This positive development continued through the next three years, although at a lower rate.
This study was published in a peer-reviewed publication by TaylorAndFrancis. The findings suggest that a dietary intervention free of gluten and casein proteins may have beneficial effects on individuals with autistic syndromes, particularly in terms of social, cognitive, and communicative skills.
AT Atlantis Health ReTreat
We may also include many of our services in your program.
AT Atlantis Health ReTreat
We may also include many of our services in your program.
Live Blood Viewing
Hyperbaric (HBOT)
Bach Therapy