According to a popular theory, some people with autism spectrum disorders cannot properly digest two major proteins: gluten—found in wheat and other grains—and casein, found in milk products. As the theory goes, these undigested proteins act like “opiates” in the body of the autistic person, altering their behavior, perceptions, and responses to the environment.

 Willing to try anything, many parents have put their children on the Gluten-Free Casein-Free (GFCF) diet. It has made a real difference for some autistic children. However, controlled studies of the GFCF diet have shown mixed results, according to the online parental resource AutismWeb.com.

What About Digestive Enzymes?

Whether gluten and casein are to blame, it’s a fact that many people with autism have digestive problems—and the trend seems to be on the rise.  A study by the University of California Davis Health System found that children with autism born in the 1990s were more likely to have gastrointestinal problems than autistic children born in the early 1980s.

 Given the frequency of digestive problems in the autistic population, many people with the disorder use digestive enzyme supplements for relief. Enzyme supplements help the body break down proteins (including gluten and casein), thus enabling better digestion and complete nutrition.

 The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has claimed that dietary supplements for autism are “unproven” and that parents who use supplements are the gullible victims of “marketeers.” The claim so outraged Bernard Rimland, Ph.D. and Jon Pangborn, Ph.D., Ch.E., two founders of the organization Defeat Autism Now! that the scientists wrote an open letter to the FDA that included the following: 

 “Many autistic children show remarkable improvement when these problems are mitigated through dietary changes and/or supplements. It is not claimed that giving the supplements, or changing the diet, cures autism, but it brings about improvement in the child’s well-being and behavior as a result of correcting the nutritional deficiencies, whatever the cause of these deficiencies may be.”

 Hope in Every Bottle

Digestive enzyme manufacturers have thrown their support behind the autism community in its search for reliable treatments. One of them, Enzymedica, has pledged to donate a portion of the proceeds from sales of the product Digest Spectrum to the Autism Hope Alliance, which provides hope for families facing the diagnosis of autism spectrum disorders. Anyone who purchases Digest Spectrum can be part of the campaign by activating the donation through a unique code on the bottle.

 - Paula Detwiller, All Vitamins Plus Contributor