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functional medicine and nutritional genomics - American Association ...

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AAPI’S NUTRITION GUIDE TO OPTIMAL HEALTH: USING PRINCIPLES OF FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE AND NUTRITIONAL GENOMICS<br />

EGID vary widely, depending on the area affected,<br />

<strong>and</strong> can mimic the symptoms of other disorders<br />

like food allergies, IBD, IBS, <strong>and</strong> GERD.<br />

Eosinophilic esophagitis in particular is commonly<br />

misdiagnosed as GERD.<br />

Common symptoms of EGID include:<br />

� nausea or vomiting<br />

� diarrhea<br />

� failure to thrive<br />

� abdominal or chest pain<br />

� reflux that does not respond to usual<br />

therapy<br />

� dysphagia<br />

� food impactions<br />

� gastroparesis<br />

� poor appetite<br />

� bloating<br />

� anemia<br />

� blood in the stool<br />

� malnutrition<br />

� difficulty sleeping<br />

If the child has EGID, it can cause significant<br />

pain, which can result in severe feeding problems<br />

<strong>and</strong> refusal to eat foods. EGID can only be<br />

diagnosed through an upper endoscopy,<br />

colonoscopy, <strong>and</strong> biopsy. Once the presence of<br />

EE, EG, <strong>and</strong>/or EC is confirmed, food allergy<br />

testing is typically ordered by the<br />

gastroenterologist. Since reactions to foods can not<br />

always be identified with food allergy testing, an<br />

elimination/challenge diet is recommended to help<br />

identify problematic foods. The foods that are most<br />

likely causing EGID are milk, wheat, soy, eggs,<br />

<strong>and</strong>/or peanuts.<br />

4) CONSIDER ELIMINATION DIETS<br />

Elimination diets are very popular in the autism<br />

community. The most common elimination diets<br />

initiated by parents include the Gluten Free Casein<br />

Free Diet, Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD), Gut<br />

<strong>and</strong> Psychology Syndrome Diet (GAPS), Rotation,<br />

Antifungal, Feingold, <strong>and</strong> the Low Oxalate diets.<br />

Parents have long claimed that many of these<br />

diets are effective in relieving their child’s autistic<br />

symptoms. However, there is very little evidencebased<br />

scientific research that supports or refutes<br />

128<br />

these claims. There are a few studies published<br />

with mixed results (68, 69). Currently, there is<br />

ongoing research on the Gluten Free Casein Free<br />

Diet; the study ‚Diet <strong>and</strong> Behavior in Young<br />

Children with Autism‛ is sponsored by the National<br />

Institute of Mental Health. You may find<br />

additional information on this research study at<br />

www.clinicaltrials.gov.<br />

The Gluten Free Casein Free Diet (GFCF Diet)<br />

The GFCF diet is the single most common<br />

elimination diet recommended for children with<br />

autism. Clinical observation over thirty years has<br />

shown this to be the most effective elimination diet<br />

for children with autism. According to anecdotal<br />

reports, the GFCF diet may relieve the child’s GI<br />

symptoms, increase focus, improve sleep, decrease<br />

hyperactivity, <strong>and</strong> reduce behavioral problems. It<br />

is not considered a ‚cure‛ for autism, but rather a<br />

means to relieve autistic, behavioral, <strong>and</strong><br />

gastrointestinal symptoms.<br />

Currently, there is no clear explanation of why the<br />

GFCF diet is effective for many children with<br />

autism. In the early 1980’s, the ‚opiate excess‛<br />

theory arose suggesting that incompletely digested<br />

peptides, gliadomorphine <strong>and</strong> casomorphine, with<br />

opioid activity could precipitate autism (70, 71).<br />

The opiate excess theory is still very popular<br />

today; however, it remains very controversial.<br />

Another theory, ‚non-IgE mediated food allergy‛<br />

theory arose in 2002. Research conducted by<br />

Dr. Harami Jyonouchi suggest that children with<br />

autism may be predisposed to allergic reactions to<br />

the dietary proteins, gluten, casein, <strong>and</strong> soy, which<br />

leads to gastrointestinal inflammation <strong>and</strong><br />

behavioral symptoms. Jyonouchi’s research<br />

indicates that while only a small percentage of<br />

children with autism tested positive for IgEmediated<br />

food allergies via IgE RAST <strong>and</strong> skin<br />

prick tests for gluten, casein, <strong>and</strong> soy, a<br />

significant percentage of these same children<br />

experienced symptom improvement on a gluten,<br />

casein, <strong>and</strong> soy elimination diet. Jyonouchi found<br />

that children with autism had an increased<br />

proinflammatory cytokine response to gluten,<br />

casein, <strong>and</strong> soy, which indicates that these<br />

children have a non-IgE mediated immune reaction<br />

2012

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