Why GF/CF?

A lot of people wonder why the GF/CF diet is recommended for children with Autism. I have read some excellent books on the topic and came away with a reasonable explanation that everyone can understand. It goes like this. Gluten and casein are long chain proteins. Some people lack the elements necessary in their digestive tract to fully digest these proteins. When they are incompletely broken down, they form a peptide that crosses the blood brain barrier. This peptide is similar to heroin and, as such, has an opioid effect on the brain. In short, when a child with Autism that will positively respond to a gf/cf diet ingests gluten and/or casein, they are high. No wonder they love that stuff!! Good gravy, who wouldn't? Now, you may be asking - can't I have my child tested to see if they react to gluten and/or casein before I undertake this diet? The answer is not really. Your doctor may say he/she can do a blood draw allergy test or scratch tests. These types of tests are commonly testing an IgE reaction - IgE reactions only account for 5% of all food allergies. So, you may say, well, what about the ELISA test? This test may or may not help you and your insurance may or may not cover it. I will tell you this, I did those tests on both of my kids and, according to tests, neither one of them has any allergy to anything. However, when my kid eats gluten, he's stoned. Absolutely giggly, crazy, running around the house, blank look in his eyes, won't respond to his name, stoned. My advice? Try it for 6 weeks and then make a judgment. Some children just don't respond to the diet and for some it's like night and day. It's a guessing game as to whether or not your child will be what they call a "positive responder" but it's certainly worth a shot. Good luck!