1. ASD and Gluten:
The controversy in a Gluten Free Diet
By: Irene Leal
© 2016, Irene Leal

2. Purpose:
Inform, educate, and empathize the audience
on the affect Gluten has on several individulas
living with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).
© 2016, Irene Leal

3. Introduction
Today it has become the norm for expecting parents to fear the word AUTISM.
The Centers for Disease and Control state that 1 in 68 children has some form
of ASD (cdc.gov).
With this number being so high 95% of parents are turning to certain food
restrictions like Gluten in their childrens everyday diet (Nadiv, K. 2015).
With it’s popularity comes controversy which has led to numerous studies and
debates on whether a Gluten Free diet can benefit a child with autism.
© 2016, Irene Leal

4. What is ASD?
ASD is the medical term given to individuals
diagnosed with any form of Autism.
According to the DSM-5, ASD is a spectrum of
autism related disorders like Autistic Disorder,
Aspergers Disorder, Childhood Disintegrative
Disorder, and Pervasive Developmental Disorder
(American Psychiatric Disorder, 2013).
Common symptoms with ASD can vary from
mild to severe. Their is a deficit in
Communication
Socialization
Behavior
Sensory
© 2016, Irene Leal

5. What is GLUTEN?
The FDA recognizes Gluten as a
mixture of proteins (gliadin & glutenin)
that are found in many breads.
WHEAT, BARLEY, RYE, and anything
made with these grains like pasta
(FDA, 2016).
It’s purpose is to help dough keep it’s
form when it rises.
It is also found in processed
meats, chips, sauces, beer, soups,
beauty products & medication.
© 2016, Irene Leal

6. ASD and Celiac
disease
Celiac disease is a life long
autoimmune disease where people
can not tolerate Gluten because it
damages the villi in the small
intestine (National Institute of
Health, 2015).
The gastrointestinal issues in Celiac
patients are also reported in ASD
individuals .
Known as Non-celiac gluten
sensitivity
The Pharmaceutical Journal
published an article that looked
into how many childhood
developmental disorders where
showing symptoms of celiac
disease but not proof of celiac
in bowel testings (Dodou,K.
2014).
© 2016, Irene Leal

7. Hypothesis
According to 1999 preliminary findings by P. Whiteley, ASD children are having
a hard time breaking down the protiens found in Gluten.
Many state that children with ASD also developed a “leaky gut” from antibiotics.
This discomfort then leads to behavior disturbances and psychological
abnormalities (Whiteley, P. 1999).
Eliminating Gluten improves the disturbances associated with a “leaky gut”.
© 2016, Irene Leal

8. The “leaky gut”
According to RD, M. Hagel our
gut contains millions of
microbiomes where 80% of the
immune system exhist.
- The National Institute of Health
found that 97% of children with an
ASD diagnosis suffered from
gastrointestinal distress in a 2012
study (NIH,2012).
© 2016, Irene Leal

9. Gluten and it’s effect on
Autism
- The CDC estimated that
children with ASD have a 3.5
GREATER chance of having
diarrhea and constipation.
In support of M. Hagels findings
an article in Neuroscience states
that eliminating Gluten in ASD
individuals can improve the gut
balance in individuals with
digestive issues (Li,Q. 2016).
In addition, an article in Pediatric
Adolescent Health Care identified
ASD as co-morbid with many GI
difficulties and a Gluten Free diet can
improve these symtoms (Nadiv, K.
2015).
© 2016, Irene Leal

10. Gluten Free Contoversy
Based of a double blind study done at the
University of Rochester on 22 children with ASD
no significant improvement were seen after a 12
week Gluten Free challenge (Hyman, S. 2015).
Many children with ASD have a low intake of nutritious
foods because of other sensory issues and eliminating
fortified grains that contain gluten puts them at a
higher risk of malnutrition (Nadiv, K. 2015)
The Univesity of Rochester also noted that
children that were put on a Gluten Free diet
were also adding supplements to their diet.
This if not monitored can be deadly with an
overload of certain minerals (Hyman, S. 2015).
© 2016, Irene Leal

11. Gluten Free
Studies proved that ASD was affected
by GLUTEN when abnormal levels of
peptides from Gluten where found in
urine samples (Whiteley, P. 1999).
Gluten Free diet took center stage
More recently, Pennesi & Klein (2012)
conducted a study on 387 ASD
children on a strict GF diet.
Improvements were seen in all in the
areas of social behavior, digestion,
sleep, attention, sensory, and language
(Pennesi & Klein, 2012).
Gluten Free foods
In 2013 the FDA stated that foods stating
they are “Gluten Free” needed to not have
no more than 20 parts per million of gluten
(National Institute for Health).
Corn,flax,legumes,lentils,nuts,potatoes,
quinoa, potato, rice,seeds,soy,unprocessed
meats,tofu,eggs, cheese,fish,fruit,
vegetables, milk, yogurt
© 2016, Irene Leal

12. Sample Gluten
Free Menu
Many packaged GF foods are
expensive.
Stick to naturally GF free foods
Important to aim for 3 grams of fiber
per serving to make up for the lack of
fortified grains
Brown rice, buckwheat,flaxseed meal,
quinoa
Breakfast: egg omelet with cheese,
strawberries and blueberries, orange juice
Lunch: rice cake with peanut butter, cheese
stick, raisins, milk
Snack: carrots with hummus
Dinner: tacos with ground turkey or beef,
luttuce, tomato, cheese, black beans, milk
© 2016, Irene Leal

13. Conclusion
With ASD on the rise and research pointing at genetics and environment,
parents are turning to what many call “The Gluten Craze”.
With so many individuals with celiac not carrying an ASD diagnosis,
researchers realize how complex the disorder is.
Research suggest that a gluten free diet can benefit the overall health and
improve symptoms in ASD children.
Yet, it is important to implement a GF diet with the guidance of a RD.
Malnutrition can develop in children with ASD when eliminating fortified
grains. © 2016, Irene Leal

14. References
Autism. (2016). Retrieved April 03, 2016, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/index.html
Dodu, K., & Whiteley, P. (2014). Non-coeliac gluten sensitivity—a look at the evidence behind
the headlines. Pharmaceutical Journal, 292, 292.
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/digestive-diseases/celiac-disease/Pages/facts.aspx
Hagel, M. (2016). Autism-The Role of the Microbiome. Autism.
Hyman, S. L., Stewart, P. A., Foley, J., Peck, R., Morris, D. D., Wang, H., & Smith, T. (2016).
The Gluten-Free/Casein-Free Diet: A Double-Blind Challenge Trial in Children with Autism. Journal of autism and developmental disorders, 46(1), 205-220.
Li, Q., & Zhou, J. M. (2016). The microbiota–gut–brain axis and its potential therapeutic role in
autism spectrum disorder. Neuroscience, 324, 131-139.
Pennesi, C. M., & Klein, L. C. (2012). Effectiveness of the gluten-free, casein-free diet for children
diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder: based on parental report. Nutritional neuroscience, 15(2), 85-91.
Seneff, S. (2014, June) Is roundup the toxic chemical that’s making us all sick? Slideshow
Presented at the Autism One Conference December, 2014. MIT: CSAIL.
Whiteley, P., Rodgers, J., Savery, D., & Shattock, P. (1999). A gluten-free diet as an intervention
for autism and associated spectrum disorders: Preliminary findings. Autism, 3(1), 45–65.
© 2016, Irene Leal