What is indicated
and the immediate take home, is that embarking on a gluten free diet
with a victim of autism is likely to be advantageous for some
victims. Since this is also a good idea in any event for many other
reasons, it should be done anyway.
It is additionally
indicated that wheat is a contributor to a wide range of conditions
essentially making them worse. Thus eliminating it from one's diet
except perhaps as an occasional item so that it never dwells
continuously in your digestive system is a proper response.
Our society has been
spoiled by the convenience of sugar and wheat products and
particularly of their refined products. They are turning out to be
an awful source of sustenance just by themselves. We lose a lot with
all forms of refining and these are surely the worst.
Restoration of whole
food protocols is a function of convenience and that is slowly been
solved through activist producers.
New
Study Signals Wheat-Autism Link
As
the autism epidemic continues to accelerate, one of the least well
known contributing factors goes mostly unnoticed: wheat consumption.
A
new study published in the open access journal PloS is reinvigorating
the debate over what are the primary causes of the accelerating
autism epidemic. Whereas too many within the conventional medical
establishment, failing to identify a singular cause, apathetically
label the condition “idiopathic,” i.e. cause unknown, or worse,
“caused by unknown defective genes,” there is a growing awareness
that a multitude of environmental factors including vaccines,
chemical exposures, C-sections, antibiotics, genetically modified
food, and food intolerances are essential in both understanding and
treating this disturbing affliction.
The
point therefore is not to prove one thing the cause (e.g. “autism
genes”), and another not the cause (e.g. vaccines), as if it were
strictly some kind of academic sport or past time, rather, to
acknowledge possible contributing factors, and eliminate them
whenever possible as a precaution.
The new study
titled, “Markers of Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity in
Children with Autism,” explored the possible association between
gluten sensitivity and autism, which previous research has confirmed
only inconsistently.[i]
They
described their aim as follows: “[T]o assess immune reactivity to
gluten in pediatric patients diagnosed with autism according to
strict criteria and to evaluate the potential link between autism and
celiac disease.”
They
discovered that children with autism had significantly higher levels
of IgG antibodies to gliadin, the primary immunotoxic protein in
wheat, compared with unhealthy controls. They also found that the IgG
anti-gliadin antibody response was significantly greater in the
autistic children with gastrointestinal symptoms in comparison to
those without them. The elevated IgG antibodies indicate: 1) that
their immune systems are identifying gliadin proteins as “other.”
2) that gliadin is not being properly broken down through digestive
processes and are entering through a compromised intestinal tract
(“leaky gut”) into the blood.
It
has been theorized that when the immune system forms antibodies
against gliadin, these antibodies cross react with self-structures
within the nervous system. Known as molecular mimicry, this break
down of immunological self-tolerance can contribute to wide range of
neurological problems including neuropathy, ataxia, seizures, and
neurobehavioral changes including mania, schizophrenia and autism.
Anti-gliadin antibodies are therefore a possible cause of autoimmune
neurological damage. One study published in the Journal of Immunology
in 2007 found that anti-gliadin antibodies crossreact with the
neurological protein class known as synapsin I, providing a molecular
mechanism behind how an immune reaction to gliadin could contribute
to neurological degeneration.
Beyond
Celiac Disease: Wheat Causes Far More Harm Than Commonly Understood
When
the researchers looked at levels of celiac disease specific blood
markers (i.e. antibodies to deamidated gliadin and TG2), they did not
differ between patients and controls. Moreover, there was no observed
association between the HLA-DQ2 genetic locus of celiac disease
susceptibility and increased anti-gliadin antibodies. This is an
important finding, as many look upon wheat intolerance or sensitivity
as a rare disorder without a clearly defined mechanism of action like
celiac disease. They would rather not believe that wheat, which is a
glorified grain in wealthier countries, could contribute to a wide
range of diseases. Our project, for instance, has identified over
200 potential adverse health effects of gluten consumption. One
does not therefore have to have classically defined celiac disease,
or “wheat allergy,” to experience adverse effects associated with
gluten-grain consumption.
The
authors of the study concluded:
A
subset of children with autism displays increased immune reactivity
to gluten, the mechanism of which appears to be distinct from that in
celiac disease. The increased anti-gliadin antibody response and its
association with GI symptoms points to a potential mechanism
involving immunologic and/or intestinal permeability abnormalities in
affected children.
Scientists
are cautious, and they should be. For those who are suffering with an
autistic child or family member, however, a gluten free diet might be
worth exploring now, even if the link is only considered tentative
from the perspective of the peer-reviewed clinical literature. One
remarkable example of the potential for a gluten free diet to
generate great improvement can be viewed on GreenMedTV.com: Boy
Recovers from Autism After Going Gluten Free.
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