subject: Gluten Controlled Nutrition Plan - Children With Autism And Nutritional Requirements [print this page] A gluten free diet plan is an eating plan in which the gluten protein is eliminated from the diet. Food and drinks made with wheat, barley, rye or oats are to be strictly avoided. A gluten free diet plan is often used for children with autism.
A lot of people that tend to follow a gluten free diet often say that autistic kids will sometimes have gastrointestinal struggles, which, in turn, makes it difficult to ingest grains well. Autistic kids may be affected by this in a number of ways.
One of the more popular and proven theories is that eating gluten leads to high levels of protein by products. These by-products affect behavior much the same way drugs would. Gluteomorphines are peptides that resemble morphine. The body naturally makes these peptides from gluten. It is generally accepted that your gluteomorphine level will diminish once you've stopped consuming gluten, resulting in improved behavior.
Gluteomorphines are believed to drive autistic children away from social situations. When this happens, it may block the pain that is being exasperated and increase confusion, greatly.
How The Experts Weigh In
Autism experts say a gluten free diet works on the elimination process. Many parents of children on elimination diets report that behavior has improved drastically. If parents follow a gluten free diet they have been known to mark several improvements.
Many professionals think that autistic children are allergic to wheat and wheat products. By eliminating gluten as part of their overall treatment; the experts say that children feel much better and are able to function optimally.
Finding Assistance
It isn't always easy to entice kids to stick to a gluten free diet. It might be worthwhile for you to think about enlisting the help of a diet and nutrition expert who can help identify the best gluten free diet to suit your child's specific tastes and preferences.
They will also offer expert advice on how to implement the diet, without any fear of your child suffering from deficiencies in any nutrient group.
Children can be mean sometimes and autistic children may feel uncomfortable with being singled out because they are "different". A gluten free diet singles out their condition and differences. This presents a unique challenge to parents trying to meet the treatment guidelines. A family can stick to a gluten-free diet with the help of support groups that will provide additional resources and ideas on how to deal with the challenges of a gluten-free lifestyle.
Experts claim that a gluten free diet for those with autism will take a lot of dedication and sacrifice. With the climbing rates of autism diagnoses, there are countless resources available to you.