Is a Gluten-Free Diet Beneficial For Autistic Children?

Many autistic young persons experience gastrointestinal challenges and restricted food intake, which can be very concerning for their families (Baspinar, 2020). Some of their gastrointestinal challenges can be attributed to atypical sensory processing such as preferences for restrictive food types (Baspinar, 2020) as well as be associated with anxiety (Mazurek et al., 2013).

In general (despite inconsistent results), many studies find that children on the autism spectrum have higher rates of increased intestinal permeability (leaky gut) than their neurotypical peers (Tarnowska et al., 2021), as well as digestive imbalances such as reduced gut microbial taxonomic diversity (Yap et al., 2021).

Given the focus many families place on diet and digestion due to the above concerns, many parents are naturally curious about whether diets impact their loved ones’ autistic characteristics, or at least their bowel health and associated immune health (Rudzki and Szults, 2021), with gluten-free and casein-free diets being amongst the most frequently trialed and controversial dietary interventions (Tarnowska et al., 2021).

What is gluten?

According to Biesiekierski (2017), gluten is “a complex mixture of hundreds of related but distinct proteins, mainly gliadin and glutenin.” Gluten can be used as an additive for foods other than grain to help food hold shape, and can be found in thickeners, medications, meats, and many other food products. The particular…