Gastrointestinal Issues Essay

533 Words3 Pages
Gastrointestinal Issues and ASD: While studies of the effects of a gfcf diet on the symptoms of autism are lacking in consistency, there seems to be consistent evidence of higher rate of GI symptoms in people with ASD. In one study of 95 children with autism, it was found that “The majority (61%) of children had at least one reported gastrointestinal symptom,”(Mazefsky et al). This is further shown by a study referenced by Timothy Buie’s study which stated that “In 1 study, Valicenti-McDermott et al10 reported that 70% of children with autism had Gal distress can predict later onset of a functional gastrointestinal disorder and vice versa.” (Keightley et al). It is not unreasonable to say that children with autism experience some sort of…show more content…
However, when looking at the higher than average prevalence of GI issues with autism it is important to consider this as a reason why some may experience positive benefits of a GFCF diet in relationship to negatively associated symptoms of autism. If there is an improvement, or rather a reduction in gastrointestinal distress, this will generally improve one’s overall mood. It is possible that a reduction of symptoms of autism that coincides with the implementation of a GFCF diet could be caused by a reduction in overall gastrointestinal distress. One study examining the relationship between gastrointestinal issues and behavior concerns in children with ASD found that while “Children with and without gastrointestinal problems did not differ in autism symptom severity, adaptive behavior, or total internalizing or externalizing problem scores...participants with gastrointestinal problems had significantly higher levels of affective problems.” (Mazefsky et al) showing that a reduction in gastrointestinal distress would likely affect the level of the affective problems. This could be an alternative explanation for why a GFCF diet may affect certain people with ASD, but not all. Another study examining gastrointestinal abnormalities in patients with autism
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