Where did all of the support and recognition for Autism start

March 28, 2007

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> Can you tell me what SCD is? Aggie

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet™ (SCD™)

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet™ (SCD™) and other grain-free or starch-

free dietary interventions.

The SCD™ is based on the premise that limiting the diet to simple

sugars (usually for at least a year) will starve out toxic organisms

in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and restore gut integrity and

immune function.

It eliminates starches and most sugars, and consists mainly of meats,

fish, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Although it was used

previously for adults with IBD and other GI disorders, some parents

of children with autism who have tried the SCD™ have reported relief

from symptoms like diarrhea and constipation, and after a time, from

multiple food intolerances. Some significant behavioral improvements

have also been reported.

There are several different theories about why the SCD™, and related

programs advocated by DAN! doctors may be beneficial for certain

children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Theories about the effectiveness of a grain-free and/or starch-free

diet:

It is theorized that yeast and bacteria in the gut are responsible

for causing damage to the gut lining, and their continued presence is

preventing it from healing properly. This could be responsible for

allowing peptides such as those from gluten and dairy to pass into

the bloodstream and affect brain function.

It is possible that the yeasts and bacteria that live in the gut

actually cause or contribute to behavioral disruptions. The finding

of dermorphin (an opiate substance produced by bacteria) in the urine

of some autistic children may indicate that in some cases this is

where the abnormal behaviors are coming from.

Many children with autism have multiple food intolerances, often

unidentified. High on that list are corn, rice, and other grains.

Eliminating all of these foods for a time may allow the GI immune

system to stabilize, and will usually provide relief from GI problems

like constipation and diarrhea.

The most promising things about this type of intervention are:

Some children with autism and their parents have found that food

intolerances are greatly reduced after a year or so, and some foods

can be safely re-introduced.

Removing starchy carbohydrates results in a much more healthful

diet, as " carb-addicted " ASD children will usually begin to accept

more meat, vegetables, and fruit.

Behavioral improvements such as better sleep, eye contact, and

increased cognitive function have been reported by many, and are

usually apparent within a month.

The most difficult things about this type of intervention are:

Many of the children are already on an extremely limited diet due to

allergies, intolerances, and sensory issues, and they may have

problems getting adequate nutrition on this diet.

There is often an initial adverse reaction to the removal of sugars

and starches which is similar to that which is seen with anti-fungal

treatment. This is called a " Herxheimer reaction " or " die-off

reaction, " as yeasts and bacteria die, and release toxins along with

their stronghold in the gut. This effect usually lasts from a few

days to a few weeks, and is generally considered to be a good sign

which will result in improvements after it is over.

There is much conflicting information on the Internet and on various

support lists about which diets are " best. " Further, some of the

reasons given for a food being excluded are not always clear. For a

table that compares the recommendations for food restrictions on the

GF/CF Diet, the SCD™, and the BED, click here.

Note: There is some concern among DAN! Doctors, such as Dr.

Hicks, about the effects of excess protein on the kidneys. Many

advise a more moderate approach: removing potatoes, white rice, and

corn, but allowing certain grains like brown rice, amaranth, quinoa,

buckwheat, millet, and montina. (See article, ANDI News, Volume VI,

Issue 4.)

How strict does this diet need to be?

For GI disorders like ulcerative colitis and Crohns Disease, it has

been reported that strict adherence to the SCD™ is required for

healing and the relief of symptoms. In the case of autism disorders,

many people believe that such rigor is necessary to the achieve full

results, while others have noted that cutting a substantial amount of

starches and sugars will yield significant benefits, and that the

level of adherence can be fine-tuned to meet the needs of the

individual and the family.

The Dairy Debate:

Most of the grain-free diets allow dairy products, however, they were

not designed for children on the autism spectrum. Many children with

autism are seriously affected by opiate peptides resulting from

improperly digested milk and wheat proteins (see studies). Most

autism medical practitioners who support dietary interventions are

adamant that it is important to keep the dairy out of the diet,

regardless of claims that certain yogurts or cheeses will be

tolerated after the gut has healed.

Those who maintain that specially-prepared goat-milk yogurt should be

introduced after some time on the SCD™ argue that:

Although the benefits of the SCD™ are not limited to those who use

this goat yogurt, it has been reported to have sped up healing and

led to improvements in health and functioning in some ASD children

and others on the SCD™.

After the gut has healed, some ASD children will tolerate this

yogurt, which is abundant in beneficial bacteria.

The special way that the yogurt is processed may not eliminate casein

and lactose, but seems to reduce the quantity.

The arguments against using specially-prepared goat-milk yogurt are:

De-natured milk proteins - goat or otherwise - can still become

opiate peptides during the digestive process. Although a mild short-

term regression might be due to a die-off from the natural probiotics

in the yogurt, some children have been reported to experience opiate-

like symptoms such as change in pupil size, severely increased

stimming, pain insensitivity, and serious behavioral regressions.

There is some concern that even after some time on the GF/CF diet,

each dietary infringement raises the sensitivity of the opiate

receptor sites, and it is theorized that this could allow these

children to react adversely to all kinds of opiate exposures,

including the body's natural endorphins. 3. We have no way of

knowing when the gut is fully healed, which children can tolerate

this yogurt, and which cannot. It is unclear whether the yogurt

would be safe for every child after some period of time, or whether

there are some children for whom it will never be safe.

The main benefits of such a yogurt are the quality and quantity of

probiotics contained within. These can be obtained in high-quality

dairy-free capsules and powders. Milk fat may also be helpful as a

nesting ground for these probiotics, but the benefits of this should

be obtainable using ghee, which is a form of clarified butter in

which the proteins have been almost completely removed.

We do not believe there is sufficient data to support either

argument, and we caution parents against those who claim that they

have such data. As with any intervention, we recommend that you look

for facts, listen to opinions, and make up your own mind. Until there

is considerably more science behind diets like the SCD™ for autism,

and until we fully understand the mechanism by which dairy is doing

damage in these children, our current stand on this issue is to

continue to avoid dairy products for children who have reacted

adversely to them in the past.

For more information on the SCD™, you can buy or borrow a copy

of " Breaking the Vicious Cycle " by Elaine Gottschall, or use other

resources on the Internet to fully understand the guidelines for the

SCD™, including the ASD & SCD™ Website at http://www.pecanbread.com/.

There are several other sources of information about grains, health,

and chronic illness. A well-known advocate of the grain-free diet is

Dr. ph Mercola. You may also be interested in reading about the

Paleolithic Diet or the SCD™ at the Healing Crow website. Another

similar approach can be found at the Body Ecology Diet website:

www.bodyecologydiet.com and at our BED summary.

For a comparison of the many published low-carbohydrate diets that

are most commonly used for weight-loss or health in adults, visit

http://www.lowcarb.ca/atkins-diet-and-low-carb-plans/.

March 28, 2007