Autism is a neurological disorder affecting the normal functioning of the brain during the early stages of its formation and development. One of the most well researched topics of scientific research is on the effect diet has on autism. Autism and diet are closely inter-related. An autism diet proves to be extremely beneficial for autistic children.
The autism diet whose main feature is gluten free, works on the simple principle of understanding the distribution of neurological receptors in the body. The neuro-receptors found in the brain are also located in various other parts of the human body. A gluten free diet improves the social interaction and behavior of autistic children by protecting the child from an allergic reaction to gluten.
Gluten is a composite protein made of two other principal proteins. Studies have shown that gluten is largely responsible for many intestinal problems. It irritates the stomach and the intestinal lining and causes problems in digestion. The working principle of a gluten free diet is to control this response and give the affected child relief from the unpleasant biological effects of gluten.
Autism and diet go hand in hand. Psychometric analyses and other related tests show that a gluten free diet can help children learn and improve their cognitive skills, as they are free of digestive discomfort.
A diet does not hold any promise as a cure for autism. It has become very easy to put an autistic child on a gluten free diet, as many food manufacturers are now selling a variety of gluten free products. Care must be taken to ensure that an autism diet doesn’t include cereals like rye, wheat, barley, and sorghum as well as certain kinds of bread. Oats may or may not contain gluten; but very often, it is processed in the same machinery along with wheat. Therefore, including oats in an autism diet may not be a good idea considering the potential problem of cross contamination with wheat.
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