Even today, the exact causes of autism are unknown but some explanations have emerged over the years.
One explanation floating around was that people with autism had an intestinal malfunction. This made them only partially able to digest toxic casein and gluten by-products.
When that information came out, many parents with an autistic child put the child on a gluten and casein-free (GFCF) diet. Today, researchers at the University of Texas at Austin’s Meadows Center Autism Spectrum Disorders Institute say that this has nothing to do with autism.
Austin Mulloy is the lead researcher on the study and a doctoral student in the Department of Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin. He says: "Many causes for ASD have been proposed and even though the actual etiology remains unknown, potential causes have been translated into treatment methods and shared with the public well before there is sufficient evidence regarding treatment effectiveness or safety."
The study appears in the journal Research in Autism Spectrum Disorders. Researchers analyzed 15 studies on the subject before arriving at this conclusion.
The University of Texas website explains that: "Casein is a naturally occurring protein found in milk and other dairy products and gluten is a protein in wheat, barley and other grains."
Mulloy adds: "my fellow researchers and I recommend that the diet only be implemented with children whose doctors have identified them as having allergies or intolerances to gluten or casein."