Research: Diet, Immunity, and Autistic Spectrum Disorders

Authored by Murch, S. in J Pediatr., Volume 146, Issue 5, p. 582-584, (2005).

Article summary (posted Nov 14, 2006):

This brief review article suggests that elimination diets may improve the health and behavior of some children with autism.

The author discusses the evidence that many children with autism have problems with their digestive and immune systems. Then the author describes the recent research suggesting that elimination diets may help improve the behavior of children with autism. However, the author emphasizes that children on elimination diets should be seeing nutritionists or physicians who are educated in nutrition. Much of the rest of the article describes a research report showing that the immune responses of children with autism, when exposed to certain foods, are similar to those of children with food allergies. According to the author, these results suggest that children with autism may have unusual responses to these foods that should be investigated further.

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You can access the original abstract and the complete paper is sometimes available for free via Google Scholar (look for entries that say "PDF" or "HTML" on the right side of the page).
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