Diet, Main Weapon Handling Autistic Children

regular diet can be a major weapon against the treatment of children with autism, say researchers from the School of Public Health, Diponegoro University, Semarang, SA Nugraheni. "This step is usually not thought of the parents who have children with autism," he said after delivering the results research on "Changes in Child Behavior Autism Gluten Free Diet Pascaintervensi Casein-Free", in Semarang on Thursday.

Based on research, he says, most children with autism, especially at the advanced level, have a good response when it gets a low-grade wheat, milk, and similar products. Several other studies also noted that the type of food should be avoided by people with autism are foods that contain gluten, casein, glucose, and fat. "But have not found evidence of an authentic," he said.

It assisted researchers from the Faculty of Medicine and Faculty of Psychology, University of Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta, respectively M. Hakimi and Y. Prawitasari, took the initiative to examine the effect of casein and gluten-free diet to change the behavior of autistic children. "We do counseling to the parents who have children with autism in depth through the modules and books about gluten-free foods and casein are made ​​every two weeks for three months," he said.

He said, counseling is necessary to constantly monitor whether gluten and casein-free diet still run them. Observations, he said, it showed a positive behavior change significantly.

Previously thought, he said, psychological factors play an important role against the onset of symptoms of autism. However, he said, many in the field of metabolic research shows that many children with autism experience a variety of metabolic disorders. "Metabolic disorders are commonly found in children with autism of which allergy to different kinds of food, the growth of fungi and 'yeast' is redundant, indigestion, and poisoning heavy metal, "he said.

In addition, he said, there are abnormalities found in the intestines of autistic children in the form of small holes in the intestinal mucosa and increase intestinal permeability known as "leaky gut". He said the gluten (protein from wheat) and casein (protein from cow's milk), they are difficult to digest protein (peptide), mainly due to leakage of the intestinal mucosa resulting in entry into the blood circulation.
However, he said, was not long peptide in the blood, as most of the peptide was removed through the urine and some others broke into the brain that will attach to opioid receptors. "If it's been like, this peptide is changed into morphine which can affect the function of the central nervous system, causing behavioral disorders," said Nugraheni.