Behavior Problems Improve When Autistic Children Adhere To Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet

Autistic children may experience improvements in social behavior and physiological symptoms if they stick to a gluten-free, casein-free diet, U.S. researchers have found. Gluten and casein are both proteins, the former found in wheat flour and the latter in cow’s milk. For the study, 387 parents of autistic children reported on how much gluten and casein their kids consumed. The researchers found that a gluten-free, casein-free diet among children with gastrointestinal and  allergy problems was effective in improving social behaviors, such as language production, eye contact, engagement, attention span, requesting behavior and social responsiveness.