Many people follow a diet that is both gluten free and casein free. Casein is the protein found in milk products and the glutens that we are concerned about occur in wheat, rye, barley, and possibly in oats.

  The gluten free diet is prescribed for those experiencing celiac disease, and if strictly adhered to for a life-time, is a total effective cure for that condition and the only diet that does more than alleviate symptoms. There is strong scientific evidence to support these claims.

  The GF/CF diet is supported by anecdotal evidencefrom many persons involved with autism. The evidence for this diet is overwhelmingly favorable but many experts recommend other treatments and question whether the effort needed to maintain this rather diet is the best use of a care givers time and energy.

  With this background information in mind, here are some resources for persons following (or considering) the GF/CF lifestyle:

  An excellent and very complete article titled “Special Diets and Autism” is available from About.com and weighs the pros and cons of attempting to treat celiac disease with diet.

The Autism Society of America and the Autism Network for Dietary Information (ANDI)  contain information about this subject.

  I have included several GF/CF recipes and recipe  collections in my  article “The Gluten Free Casein Free Diet”.

Published 07/15/08