Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet and Autism Ranking:

Risks and Safety

Hazards

There are many potential risks to withdrawing normal or regular foods, especially from young children. For example, 

• According to Shattock (1995), “Initially the reported effects may be negative. Upset stomach, anxiety, clinginess, dizziness, aches and pains and slight ill-temper have all been reported”, although he also notes “Experience would suggest that these are good signs and precursors of a positive response”.
• According to Connor Z (2014), ”The gluten-free, casein-free diet also poses a number of potential risks including a low intake of calcium, iodine and fibre which can lead to weaker bones, iodine deficiency and gut problems (there is also a risk of masking undiagnosed coeliac disease if a coeliac disease test is not carried out before trialling the diet)”.
• According to Mari-Bauset et al (2015), “The combination of food selectivity and restrictive diets can make it difficult to achieve an adequate diet, consequently resulting in an excessive intake of certain foods and/or deficiencies and malnutrition due to insufficient amounts of other foods. In turn, inadequate intakes may lead to the development of chronic and degenerative conditions that tend to appear in the third or fourth decade of life (cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, dyslipidemia, and osteoporosis, among others) or even earlier, in the case of menstrual disturbances, sleep apnoea, and psychosocial disorders”.

Contraindications

There are no known contraindications (something which makes a particular treatment or procedure potentially inadvisable) for the gluten-free, casein-free diet. 

However, some autistic people eat only a limited range of food. They already have a less healthy and less varied diet than other people. Restricting what they eat even further may reinforce those rigid eating patterns. It may also increase their social isolation (because they can’t eat the same food as their peers at parties or restaurants). 

If you have concerns about your own diet or your child's diet you should seek advice from a responsible health professional such as a health visitor or general practitioner (GP). This may lead to a referral to a dietitian – in particular one with experience of working with autistic individuals.

Updated

16 Jun 2022

Last Review

01 Aug 2017

Next Review

01 Nov 2023