For most people, the term "autism diet" refers to the gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet, which is well-known for improving autism symptoms in children on the autism spectrum. But for some children, the GFCF diet may not be enough. These children often improve initially and then begin to regress again, even though their parents are confident they're following the diet correctly.
These children may need extra help in the form of a stricter autism diet approach. Although only a few parents are following the Paleo Diet/Caveman Diet as an autism treatment, the Paleo Diet's promoters say it shows real promise as a way to promote autism recovery.
Paleo Diet Focuses on Meats, Vegetables, Fruits
The idea behind the Paleo Diet/Caveman Diet is to eat foods that our ancestors would have eaten before the dawn of agriculture. According to proponents of the diet, the grains, legumes, dairy products and sugar that are so common today didn't exist (at least in edible form) in the Paleolithic era.
Therefore, humans did not evolve eating these foods and are not well-adapted to consume them, diet theory postulates. Foods such as meat, fish, eggs, shellfish, vegetables, tree nuts, roots, fruits and mushrooms were on the menu in the Paleo era, and in theory humans are better adapted to consume these foods, according to Paleo Diet/Caveman Diet proponents.
Caveman Diet Meshes Well with Autism Diet Principles
Most of those following a special diet for autism have eliminated the proteins gluten (found in the grains wheat, barley, and rye) and casein (found in dairy products). The Paleo Diet/Caveman Diet also bans these proteins, and also forbids most of the foods that potentially could be contaminated with trace amounts of these proteins (such as virtually all grains and grain products, regardless of whether they are labeled "gluten free").
Some followers of the GFCF autism diet speculate that the Paleo Diet/Caveman Diet is successful in treating autism simply because it eliminates gluten and casein, and that other effects are incidental. But the handful of parents whose autistic children are following the Paleo Diet/Caveman Diet say its inherent low-carb approach also helps with yeast and bacterial overgrowth in the intestines, and the diet may have other benefits that haven't been researched yet.
The GFCF diet as it's commonly used actually can be higher in carbohydrates than a normal diet, since children with autism who follow the GFCF diet often eat large amounts of gluten- and casein-free baked goods, which are very high in sugar and carbs.
Paleo Diet Variations Hold to Same Principles for Autism
There are many variations of the Paleo Diet/Caveman Diet, but all hold to the same basic set of principles that foods eaten by humankind's remote ancestors before the dawn of civilization are far better-suited to modern-day humans than foods developed later.
In terms of autism, most or all the variations seem to hit the diet "basics," i.e., no gluten or casein. They also go even further than the basics by eliminating sugar and starches, which some alternative medicine practitioners believe feed yeast and bacteria in the gut and contribute to autism symptoms. This belief also supports the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, which is somewhat more common in autism treatment than the Paleo Diet/Caveman Diet.
The Paleo Diet/Caveman Diet also stresses vitamin D levels, which commonly are too low in autistic children and adults.
Jane Anderson - Jane M. Anderson spends as much time as possible on the water, working and sailing on boats. She grew up sailing Sunfish and Rhodes 19s on ...
Join the Conversation