GFCF Diet Info

There's been some curiosity about the gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet. So, I'll tell you what it's all about and why our family is now on it.

 

" Based on reports from caregivers, case studies, and observation of patients with schizophrenia and children with severe behavioral disorders, Dr. FC Dohan hypothesized, in 1960s and 70s, that gluten and dairy foods might worsen these behaviors. He noted that in many cases, a restricted diet could lead to significant improvement or recovery from these disorders. For several years, the biochemical explanation for this phenomenon remained unclear. However, several other studies seemed to bear out this observation, and in 1981, using more advanced laboratory technology, Dr. Karl Reichelt, Director of Clinical Chemistry for the Department of Pediatric Research at the Rikshospitalet (National Hospital) in Oslo, Norway, found and reported abnormal peptides in the urine of schizophrenics and autistics. Peptides are pieces of proteins that are not completely broken down into individual amino acids. Dr. Reichelt has observed that these peptides, which are 4 or 5 or 6 amino acids long, have sequences that match those of opioid peptides (casomorphin and gliadomorphin). The known dietary sources of these opiate peptides are casein (from milk) and gliadin or gluten (from cereal grains). He has since conducted several studies examining this finding, as have several other researchers, including Paul Shattock at the University of Sunderland in England, Dr. Robert Cade at the University of Florida, Gainesville, A. Vojdani at Immunosciences Laboratory, and H. Jyonouchi at the Dept. of Pediatrics/NJ Medical School. The best evidence for this correlation lies in the thousands of case reports of improvement or recovery of children with autism on this diet. However, responsible physicians who have taken the time to review these studies must agree that there is, indeed, significant scientific evidence to support a trial period of careful elimination of these proteins from the diet of children on the autistic spectrum.  " (Taken from http://www.autismndi.com/news/display.asp?content=Resources&shownews=20040721150209  )

 

FAQ:

What happens when they get these proteins?

Researchers in England, Norway, and at the University of Florida have found peptides (breakdown products of proteins) with opiate activity in the urine of a high percentage of autistic children. Opiates are drugs, like morphine, which affect brain function.

What are my child's nutritional needs?

There are six basic things a person needs from food: water, protein (and amino acids,) carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals (including iron & calcium.) In addition, food contains certain phytochemical substances that seem to help with functions like disease prevention. It is helpful to consult a nutritionist about the use of supplements such as pycnogenol for any child on a limited diet.

Children who have gone for one year eating only chicken, canola oil, potato, rice, calcium-enriched beverages, and a liquid multivitamin supplement with minerals have had excellent results on nutritional blood tests. You'd be surprised to learn just how unnecessarily varied an American diet is, compared with the diets of other cultures!

So, if I can't give him milk or wheat, and if he has some other food allergies, what do I feed my child?

Most kids are okay with chicken, lamb, pork, fish, potato, rice, and egg whites. Parsnips, tapioca, arrowroot, honey, and maple syrup are usually okay too. French fries from McDonalds are currently gluten free (but may contain soy or corn.) Certain white nuts, like macadamia and hazelnuts, are also usually tolerated. Others kids may be okay with white corn, bacon, fruits such as white grapes or pears, beans, sesame seeds, or grains such as amaranth and teff (available at natural foods stores.) There's always something to feed them - even the most finicky kids seem to like sticky white chinese rice or french fries.

What else contains gluten?

Wheat, oats, rye, barley, kamut, spelt, semolina, malt, food starch, grain alcohol, and most packaged foods - even those that do not label as such. There is a lot of information on gluten intolerance because of a related disorder called Celiac Disease. The nearly complete list can be found at http://www.gfcfdiet.com/unacceptable.htm

Isn't milk necessary for children's health?

Americans have been raised to believe that this is true, largely due to the efforts of the American Dairy Association, and many parents seem to believe that it is their duty to feed their children as much cow's milk as possible.

However, lots of perfectly healthy children do very well without it. Cow's milk has been called "the world's most overrated nutrient" and "fit only for baby cows." There is even evidence that the cow hormone present in dairy actually blocks the absorption of calcium in humans.

Be careful. Removing dairy means ALL milk, butter, cheese, cream cheese, sour cream, etc. It also includes product ingredients such as "casein" and "whey," or even words containing the word "casein." Read labels - items like bread and tuna fish often contain milk products. Even soy and rice cheese usually containcaseinate.

For more information on dairy-free living, there's a very good book called "Raising Your Child Without Milk" by Jane Zukin. This can be ordered at Barnes & Noble and at Waldenbooks. There is also a very good little book called "Don't Drink Your Milk" by Frank Oski (the head of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins and author of "Essential Pediatrics.") This book cites the results of several research studies which conclude that milk is an inappropriate food for human children. It is available for $4.95 from Park City Press, PO Box 25, Glenwood Landing, NY 11547, ISBN #0671228048.

But if I take away milk, what will my child do for calcium?

Children between the ages of one and ten require 800-1000 mg of calcium/day. If the child drinks three 8-oz glasses of fortified rice, soy or potato milk per day, he would meet that requirement. If he drank one cup per day, the remaining 500 mg of additional calcium could be supplied with one of the many supplements available. Kirkman Labs (800-245-8282) makes flavored and flavorless calcium supplements in various forms. Custom-made calcium liquids can also be mixed up by compounding pharmacies using a maple, sucrose syrup, stevia or water base.

There are some very good calcium-enriched milk substitutes on the market. Rice Dream, in the white box, is usually available at the supermarket.

Is this diet expensive?

There is no denying that many of the gluten-free ingredients you will need to keep on hand are more costly than the staples you are used to buying. However, when you order by the case, the above milk substitutes cost about the same as cow's milk. Some parents report that their autistic children were drinking over a gallon of cow's milk per day (about $60/month!) but these same parents were reluctant to switch to rice milk at $1.30/quart.

As with all foods, convenience products such as frozen rice waffles are expensive, but making these from scratch is easy and inexpensive. Bulk rice flour is about 45¢ a pound, and there are several good gluten-free cookbooks. You'll find yourself making rice and potatoes more often, instead of ordering out. You might even save money.

What percentage of children will respond to dietary intervention?

DAN! docs used to try to be conservative about this, and say at least a third, and then, after seeing more patients, they said two thirds. Now that they have seen hundreds or thousands of patients, most tell us that they believe that almost every ASD child will benefit from this diet. Many will need further modifications ( i.e. removing grains or sugar) before the full benefits are realized.

However, age plays a big part in how quickly results will be seen. We can probably say that the response will be dramatic in more than two thirds of the children under three, and perhaps more subtle, but still helpful, in at least two thirds of older children. We think those are pretty good odds.
 

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~Nate.