Bacteria in the gut of autistic children different from non-autistic children (diet, symptoms)

[Brian.Pearson]

The underlying reason autism is often associated with gastrointestinal problems is an unknown, but new results to be published in the online journal mBio® on January 10 reveal that the guts of autistic children differ from other children in at least one important way: many children with autism harbor a type of bacteria in their guts that non-autistic children do not. The study was conducted by Brent Williams and colleagues at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University.

[round tuit]

"Like many other treatments, the autism diet isn't scientifically proven to improve symptoms or help children recover from autism. So far, there's just a lot of anecdotal evidence from parents of autistic children. The diet usually requires excluding gluten (a protein found in wheat) or casein (a protein found in milk). Let's start with looking at why these substances -- found in so many foods and other products -- might exacerbate the symptoms of autism".
Discovery Health "What is the autism diet?"