Dairy Free Diet Recommended for Autistic Children

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In looking for ways to minimize the effects of Autism, parents are turning to their child's diet. Some believe that Autistic children, in general, have a sensitivity to many foods. Dairy products, which contain Casein, is one of the foods high on the list for causing problems in Autistic children.

Removing all dairy foods, milk, cheese, etc., from your child's diet can, at first, appear to be very difficult to do. Most kids love cheese and demand ice cream. But healthwise a temporary period of food disappointment is well compensated by better daily health.

The ingredient in dairy foods that is thought to cause problems is Casein. Casein is a protein that is found in milk, cheese, yogurt and butter. It is also used, independently, as a binding agent in many foods including hotdogs. It is very important to read all the labels on any food your child will be eating.

In most people, Casein is easily broken down by the digestive system into peptides known as casomorphins. A further digestive process then turns the casomorphins into basic amino acids that can be used by the body. Some evidence suggests that for those who are autistic, this digestive process is incomplete. The casein is only broken down into casomorphins, and then the process stops.

Casomorphins, as the name suggests, may have an effect on the body similar to that of morphine or other opiates. This dulling effect is certainly unwanted in anyone who has autism.

If you place your child on a the dairy free diet, you will need to make sure they are getting enough calcium. This can be done with vitamin supplements, or milk substitutes. Many types of food are alternative sources of calcium such as dried beans, broccoli, rhubarb, and greens (beet, collards, spinach, kale, mustard, turnip), Tofu (soybean curd) and even some seaweeds.

Find out where you can buy Casein free and gluten free food, The Gluten- and Casein-Free Passover Guide.

If the Casein is reacting in the Autistic child's body and causing unwanted behaviors, it is hoped that by removing dairy products, some of the unwanted behaviors will disappear. It make take a few months to determine if the change in diet is working for your child. Note that many people following a dairy free diet also remove Gluten, another common food allergin, from the diet.

If you are planning to take Gluten out of your child's diet, try removing the dairy foods first. The residual components from dairy products are removed from the body much faster than the Gluten. Gluten can take ten months or more to be completely removed from the body.

In following a Casein free diet, you may want to consider milk replacements such as rice milk or soy milk as well as other Casein free foods. Not all stores will carry the dairy free products. They can usually be found at specialty, or health food stores. You can find Casein free products on the internet for mail order. There are also lots of Casein free recipes available online.

If you choose to try a Casein (dairy) free diet with your Autistic child, be sure to allow enough time to see if the diet is helping. One way to keep track of changes in your child's behavior is to keep a journal while trying the diet. Record any behaviors your Autistic child has. Then observe if the number of behaviors begins to drop. If you have not removed Gluten from your child's diet, you may want to try this next, if your child has not improved by being on a dairy free diet alone.

To find out if your Autistic child has a sensitivity to dairy (Casein), an allergy test is recommended. Other allergy tests can also guide you in determining if you should remove any other foods from the diet. For more information about Casein free diets, visit your local library. You can find many books that deal with dairy free living. The internet is also a great source of information.

A Casein or dairy free diet could be helpful in treating your child's Autism. It is not a cure for Autism though. It will only help treat some of the symptoms, helping your child and you to lead Better lives.

Publisher's Note: Make sure your child is getting his daily requirement of Vitamin D!

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