Many parents of children with Developmental disabilities have tackled the daunting task of creating a special diet for their child. Parents continue to report that combining a special diet with other biomedical interventions is beneficial not only for health, but in the improvement of overall symptoms. The Autism Research Institute Parent Rating of Interventions continues to show that parent's agree, special diets are a must. But which one is right for your child. Below is one Parent's review and comments of the various diet options.
The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) introduced by Dr. Haas and made popular by Elaine Gottschall in "Breaking the Vicious Cycle" eliminates all disaccharides (double sugar molecule) and polysaccharides (starches). Only monosaccharides (sugars from fruit and honey) are allowed. This means all starches and sugars are off limits, including rice, potatoes, table sugar, corn and lots more.
The diet is based off the principles that some people cannot digest carbs, have maldigestion and malabsorption of disacharides leading to yeast and bacteria overgrowth, which in turn causes inflammation and starts a "vicious cycle" of Gastrointestinal Distress. SCD is best used for those that have serious diarrea and intestinal inflammation, often associated with Chrons and celiac, but sometimes seen in Autism. It can also be helpful for those children who fluctuate between diarrhea and constipation. Visit: www.pecanbread.com for more in depth information.
The Body Ecology Diet (BED) utilizes food combining to achieve a proper ph balance in the stomach, thus creating an environment that is unsuitable for yeast and bacteria overgrowth. This diet uses certain types of vegetables as about eighty percent of the diet combined with proper foods. Certain grains like quinoa and amaranth are allowed. Sugar and most fruits are not allowed. It also removes honey, and other sweets that are allowed on SCD. This diet also utilized cultured vegetables and kefir which can be an excellent addition to any kids diet, with the benefits of improved digestion and added probiotics.
Gluten Free/ Casein Free (GFCF) in the recent year has become much easier to implement do to the widespread use of this diet causing many stores to stalk isles of GF/ foods. Stores are even popping up throughout California selling Gluten Free Goodies. This diet strictly removes Gluten which is a protein found in wheat, and casein which is the protein found in Dairy. These proteins are tricky and manufactures use them in numerous products so beware and read up. "Special Diets for Special Kids" is an excellent book to get you started. Most parents who go GF/CF also run a food allergy test (96 igg panel) and remove additional food sensitive as well. Great Plains Laboratory has a Gluten and Casein urine peptide test to see if these are causing a problem in your child. Many kids with Autism have found great improvements in Autistic Symptoms from this diet.
The Low Oxalate Diet (LOD) has been reported to be the missing link for some kids who are not seeing improvements with SCD and GF/CF. LOD restricts foods containing high oxalates like nuts and berries, in order to relieve the Oxalate load on the body. Oxalates are an oxalate salt that binds with a mineral and forms a crystal. Oxalate crystals have the potential to cause damage and inflammation in a system that is not processing them well. SCD is very high in oxalates, or can be. Sometimes adding some of the principles of LOD, to an existing diet, can help push a child further into recovery. Certain supplements like VSL#3 and vitamin K have also been shown to be helpful with oxalates.
The Ketogenic Diet is a very strict diet specifically for seizures. The diet is one of the few diets accepted by main stream medicine. The diet consists of ninety percent fat, with the other ten percent being carbohydrates and protein. It does not restrict artificial flavorings, but user reports suggests that it should as some flavorings have been directly reported as aggravating seizure disorders. This diet can not be made nutritionally complete without the help of medical supervision.
The Elemental Diet when all else fails, some Doctors have recommended no more than a months worth of time on an elemental diet. This diet consists of a nutritionally complete drink (suitable for tube feedings) for children with severe gastrointestinal disorders. It is not uncommon practice for this to be used for children with Autism (Under doctor supervision), in order to give them a period of bowel rest, in the absence of success with other diets, and while waiting for other biomedical interventions to kick in and start helping. Some parents of children on other special diets have started adding EO28 Splash (a tasty elemental formula in a juice box) to their kids diets. The nutritionally complete drink can add calories and essential vitamins and nutrients to kids, especially those on the GF/CF diet. Splash is not SCD
