Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is considered a brain disorder but it impacts the whole body. Inflammation, digestive problems, sleep issues, and other symptoms are common in people with autism. Balancing the gut microbiome, using special personalized nutrition plans, and supplementing with key nutrients can have a profound impact on a person with autism. Food Allergies or Sensitivities Food allergies or sensitivities are more common in individuals with autism. Reactions to food allergies are usually immediate. However, food sensitivities can be difficult to identify because symptoms are usually delayed. One of the most common food allergies/sensitivities is casein, the protein in cow’s milk. Autism is also associated with increased mast cell activation, which results in the release of inflammatory and neurotoxic mediators which may influence ASD associated behaviors. Special Diets That May Be Helpful For Autism There are special diets that can be very beneficial for certain people. For example, eliminating gluten and casein from the diet has been shown to improve symptoms in children with autism. One of the most popular diets for autism is the GAPS diet. Other diets that may be helpful are the low salicylate diet, low oxalate diet, and the ketogenic diet. Histamines and glutamates may also be problematic for certain individuals. One could try each of these diets for 2-4 weeks and see if they notice improvements. If the autistic child gets better with one of the diets, it may be beneficial to lean more into that for a few months. If you are confused on how to implement each one of these, it is a good idea to work with a bioindividulized nutrition practitioner. In This Episode: In this podcast episode, I interview functional nutritionist @juliematthewsnourishinghope and we discuss her new book “The Personalized Autism Nutrition Plan” and we go through the role of food and nutrients in brain, gut and immune function. — > To listen to this podcast episode, comment “Podcast” and I will share the link or you can find the latest episode of the Dr Jockers Functional Nutrition podcast on Apple iTunes, Spotify or YouTube. #nutrition #autism