Discussing Autism

Alright, enough talk about diet, right? But it is the season of the diet…cookies, cakes, candy canes (well, and us watching our diet, right?). Yum. And how do you handle a 4,5,6 year old who is madly out of control? Running, jumping, screaming at the top of his lungs because he had a sip of hot cocoa?

The diet is said to aid in helping behaviors such as hyperactivity, impulsiveness, compulsive actions and over emotional responses to normal actions. Additionally, many parents report increases in academic behaviors such as improved attention span, and cognitive and perceptual disturbances. We noticed an immediate difference in AJ’s sleep patterns when we removed foods high in salicylates (like apples and cinnamon). We had been feeding him rice cereal with apples and cinnamon for a nighttime snack (per our doctor) to fill his tummy. When we removed this he actually slept.

The Feingold diet is based on the idea that artificial ingredients affect behavior and it eliminates artificial coloring, flavoring, aspartame, and preservatives like BHA, BHT, and TBHQ. There are two stages to the diet. Stage one eliminates chemical compounds found in food additives and salicylates compounds in certain foods. Stage two involves identifying which salicylates can be tolerated.

The Feingold Association recommends eliminating:

* corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, and corn sugar (in soft drinks and other sweetened foods)
* MSG (monosodium glutamate) and HVP (hydrolyzed vegetable protein, which contains some glutamate)
* sodium nitrite (in luncheon meats)
* calcium propionate (in baked goods)

There is some speculation that the Feingold diet works. But, research has shown that over 70% of kids react well to it.

Many studies show that 70% or more of hyperactive children respond positively to the removal of synthetic additives, especially when salicylates or allergens are removed. There is controversy, however, over what happens when researchers take children whose behavior has improved on a diet that eliminates several thousand additives, and then challenge them with one or a few additives, usually synthetic colors.

Kari, at The Karianna Spectrum says that all she does with the diet is hope that it works for her son…that she is one of those moms who is middle of the road. But sometimes the Feingold diet is necessary and Kari can attest to that. Her son, the Cat, reacts much the same way my son does to salicylates…and Ketchup is NOT allowed in my house.

At this time we are partially on the Feingold diet, mostly because I have not committed to it. We are 100% gluten and casein free, about 80% corn and soy free, and about 90% sugar free. But, at this time we are about 70% Feingold. I still need to do more research on it.

What we do do is use No-Phenol, an enzyme supplement that aids in blocking salicylates by breaking down the food so that the phenol structure is distrusted. This allows AJ to eat certain salicylate foods such as apples and pears (with the peals off), and foods like strawberries in minimal quantities. However, those are also natural sugars and can cause an imbalance in his yeast growth so we also have to be cautious of that.

To learn more about the Feingold diet head to the official site at Feingold.org

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