Gluten- and casein-free diet and autism spectrum disorders in children: a systematic review.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether a gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diet improves core symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in children.
Results Summary
The study found little evidence that a GFCF diet significantly improves ASD core symptoms, with only minor improvements in specific subdomains (communication, social interaction) in some trials. No adverse events were reported, but overall efficacy was limited.
Population
Children with autism spectrum disorder (214 participants across six RCTs).
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Not specified
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diet | no change | autism spectrum disorder core symptoms | children | - | no statistically significant differences | #1 |
gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diet | increase | scores for the 'communication' subdomain of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule | children | - | significant improvements | #2 |
gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diet | increase | scores for the 'social interaction' subdomain of the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale | children | - | significant improvements | #3 |
gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diet | increase | post-intervention scores for the 'autistic traits' subdomain of a standardized Danish scheme | children | - | significant differences | #4 |
gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diet | increase | post-intervention scores for the 'communication' subdomain of a standardized Danish scheme | children | - | significant differences | #5 |
gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diet | increase | post-intervention scores for the 'social contact' subdomain of a standardized Danish scheme | children | - | significant differences | #6 |
gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diet | no change | - | children | - | no adverse events associated | #7 |
PURPOSE: Effective treatments for core symptoms of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are lacking. We systematically updated evidence on the effectiveness of a gluten-free and casein-free (GFCF) diet as a treatment for ASD in children. METHODS: The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases were searched up until August 2016, for randomized controlled trials (RCTs); additional references were obtained from reviewed articles. RESULTS: Six RCTs (214 participants) were included. With few exceptions, there were no statistically significant differences in autism spectrum disorder core symptoms between groups, as measured by standardized scales. One trial found that compared with the control group, in the GFCF diet group there were significant improvements in the scores for the 'communication' subdomain of the Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule and for the 'social interaction' subdomain of the Gilliam Autism Rating Scale. Another trial found significant differences between groups in the post-intervention scores for the 'autistic traits', 'communication', and 'social contact' subdomains of a standardized Danish scheme. The remaining differences, if present, referred to parent-based assessment tools or other developmental/ASD-related features. No adverse events associated with a GFCF diet were reported. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, there is little evidence that a GFCF diet is beneficial for the symptoms of ASD in children.