BIOMEDICAL Food Allergens, Sensitivities, & Substitutes JULIE MATTHEWS, CNC AUTISM NUTRITION SPECIALIST diets involve many restrictions Food sensitivities can also trigger due to children having asthma attacks, migraine headaches, and Julie Matthews is a leading Asensitivities or allergies to a eczema. biomedical autism diet expert. variety of foods. Typically, one begins Because food allergies and sensitivities She works with parents from with gluten-free and casein-free, affect so many bodily systems, reducing around the world to help children then often branches out into soy-, them can make a significant difference recover from the symptoms of corn-, and/or egg-free, as well. All in how a child feels and behaves. Doris autism through diet intervention. this restriction can cause feelings of Rapp, MD has been studying and Julie presents at the leading overwhelm in many parents, as options treating children with allergies for many autism conferences in the US can become limited. This article will years. In her book, Is This Your Child?, and abroad, including the Defeat discuss when, why, and how to avoid Rapp describes possible symptoms of Autism Now (DAN!) Conference. food allergies/sensitivities. allergy (and sensitivity) reactions Food allergies and in toddlers: red ears and Julie has created two helpful autism diet intervention tools for sensitivities (and their cheeks, dark eye circles parents. Her book, Nourishing accompanying and bags, glassy and Hope for Autism, and her autism symptoms) are glazed eyes, bloating, nutrition education and cooking common in children belching, diarrhea DVD, Cooking to Heal, are with autism. and/or constipation, available at Julie’s website According to Dr. headaches, runny www.NourishingHope.com. Kenneth Bock nose, whining, in Healing the screaming, New Childhood hyperactivity, fatigue, Epidemics, “Food aggression, depression, allergies have increased and refusal to be touched. by approximately 700 percent Parents of children with in just the last ten years.” A food allergy autism routinely report that when (IgE reaction) is an immediate immune they remove certain problematic foods response that includes symptoms common symptoms improve, such as such as a rash, hives, sneezing, or diarrhea and hyperactivity, and that anaphylaxis. A food sensitivity (IgG children feel better and have greater reaction) is a delayed immune response capacity to pay attention. Cleared of that includes chronic symptoms in the these immune system reactions, they areas of inflammation/pain, digestion, often make big gains in language and and energy/mood such as headaches, other areas of learning, behavior, and GI inflammation, gut pain, diarrhea, overall health. This can mean profound constipation, hyperactivity, or anxiety. improvement for children with autism. www.AutismFile.com Winter 2009 The Autism File soy sauce and miso. Soy is also in soy SourceS of gluten to avoid SourceS of caSein to avoid protein powders, high protein bars, Wheat All animal milk products many gluten-free pretzels, soy lecithin, Rye (cow, goat, sheep) soybean oil, and vitamin E. Barley Cheese There are a variety of soy substitutes. Spelt Yogurt For milk, (depending on the diet and Kamut Butter food restrictions) you can use: rice Triticale Buttermilk milk, almond milk, hazelnut milk, hemp Oats (commercial) Ice cream milk, potato milk, coconut milk, and Semolina Kefir homemade nut/seed milk blends. Hydrolysed Vegetable Proteins Cream For yogurt, there is homemade nut/ MSG Sour cream seed milk yogurt and homemade and Dextrin Whey commercial coconut yogurt. Malt Galactose Corn is also a common allergen and Citric acid Casein, Caseinate sensitivity. Corn is often substituted Artificial flavors & coloring * Lactose in seasoning in place of wheat and used in many “Spices” * Lactalbumin as natural flavor gluten-free foods and snacks such as Soy sauce (unless wheat-free)* Lactic acid cold cereals, tortilla chips, popcorn, Potato chips/fries * Sherbet cornstarch, pasta (corn-quinoa), and Sauces and gravies * Canned tuna other snack foods that use corn or corn Bologna and hot dogs * Cool Whip flour. Artificial butter flavor Corn is one of the most mass- Milk chocolate produced plants on the planet. Corn Wax on some fruits and vegetables is grown industrially for hundreds of * unless specified Seasoned potato chips products such as alcohol, vinegar, gluten-free Hot dogs and bologna (may contain) high fructose corn sweetener, maltodextrin, How to Avoid the Most Problematic commonly over-substitute corn and and cellulose. Foods: Gluten, Casein, Soy, Corn, soy in the place of gluten and casein. Genetically and Eggs Soy and corn are also very common modified (GM) Parents in the autism community are food sensitivities, and removal of these corn contains becoming familiar with the restriction foods, as well, can make a remarkable the gene for a of gluten and casein, two of the most difference on health, behavior, and bacteria (Bt) toxin problematic substances in foods. Gluten attention for certain individuals. and is untested is the protein in wheat, rye, barley, spelt, Soy is broken down by the same on humans and kamut, and commercial oats, and casein enzyme as gluten and casein. It is the environment. is the protein in dairy. Wheat and dairy common for parents to substitute soy GM corn appears sensitivities are commonplace today for dairy. Soy is inflammatory to the to be particularly -- and not just with autism. Nine million gut (the digestive tract); it’s known to inflammatory to people have gluten intolerance in the inhibit thyroid function, contains strong the gut. Even if you are not allergic/ US. estrogen compounds, and decreases sensitive to corn, avoid genetically There are a lot of hidden sources for absorption of calcium, magnesium, zinc, modified corn. The only way to know if allergies. For a thorough list of hidden and other minerals. Because casein and corn is not genetically modified is to buy sources, ask your allergist or other soy are so inflammatory and broken organic, because organic laws do not health care professional. This is not down by the same enzyme, it’s best to allow this modification. meant as medical advice, but intended avoid both. For these and more reasons, Sources of corn include corn syrup, to help those with food sensitivities (and I do not recommend the use of soy. high fructose corn syrup, cornstarch, certain allergies) to provide ideas for Soy is in soymilk, soy popcorn, corn chips, other foods made substitutions. yogurt, soy cheese, with corn, dextrose, xanthan gum, Removal of gluten and casein—the soy nut butter, tofu, xylitol, vitamin C (certain manufacturers gluten-free and casein-free (GF/CF) tempeh, edemame of ascorbic acid), caramel color, citric diet—is one of the most beneficial (fresh, boiled acid, and natural flavor. dietary interventions for autism. soybeans), as well Depending on their level of sensitivity, When following a GF/CF diet, people as the condiments people may avoid all corn and corn- www.AutismFile.com Winter 2009 The Autism File BIOMEDICAL SubStitutionS for gluten SubStitutionS for dairy Identifying and gluten-free & corn-free caSein-free & Soy-free removing food Rice Milk & Yogurts Millet Rice milk sensitivities can improve Quinoa Almond, hazelnut or hemp milk digestion, behavior, Amaranth Homemade nut milk Buckwheat Coconut milk sleep, rashes and Wild rice Potato milk (Vance’s DariFree) Montina headaches (to name Teff Oil/Butter a few symptoms) in Sorghum Coconut oil Tapioca Ghee children with autism. Nut flours Lard or tallow Seed flours Earth Balance Some people will need to avoid eggs Coconut flour Olive, grapeseed and vegetable oils all together. Others are intolerant to Chestnut flour chicken eggs, but may tolerate duck or Bean flours Cheeses quail eggs. People sensitive to chicken Roots (taro, yam) Rice (Galaxy Foods) – one version is eggs should be very cautious when Yucca/casava casein-free trying duck or quail eggs. Do not try any Non-gluten pasta (rice, soba eggs when there is a strong allergenic noodles-100% buckwheat) Ice Cream (IgE) response to chicken eggs—this Non-gluten bread (millet, rice bread) Sorbets w/o milk could be dangerous with anaphylactic Mochi (chewy rice baked item) Non-dairy ice cream (rice or nut milk) Coconut ice cream (Coconut Bliss) response. Thickeners Fruit popsicles Food rotation is an option for those Agar with mild to moderate sensitivities, as Guar gum Chocolate it gives the system a break from the Gelatin GFCF chocolate (may contain offending food often allowing foods Kudzu powder soy lecithin) to be consumed on a limited basis Tapioca without reaction. Individuals with mild Sweet rice flour egg sensitivities may be able to rotate Xanthan gum – derived from corn chicken eggs once every three or four but often not reactive unless highly days; or rotate duck, chicken, and quail sensitive eggs for further reduced consumption Arrowroot of chicken eggs. Some people avoid chicken eggs all together, and rotate duck or quail eggs every four days. derived products. In other cases where today. While most natural sweeteners When using quail eggs, substitute them the desire is to limit GM corn or the do not contain corn (100% pure honey, at a 5-to-1 ratio for large chicken eggs. sensitivity is minor, individuals may agave nectar, maple syrup, and cane Eggs can be used as binding agents, choose only organic corn and limit or sugar), be sure to read labels thoroughly. leavening agents, and moisteners. To rotate corn-based foods and ingredients. Many products use corn as a sweetener, determine what eggs are being used for Xanthan gum is a common substance including artificial maple syrup (found in the recipe, first look at the type of that helps improve the texture of gluten- at most restaurants), ketchup, baked food—fluffy baked goods such as cakes free baked goods. While xanthan gum is goods, candy, jelly, and more. and pancakes contain eggs as leaveners, derived from corn, the protein fraction When a thickener is needed, arrowroot while dense meatballs use eggs as is absent from xanthan gum, and most is a great substitute for cornstarch.