Aspies For Freedom

Full Version: GF/CF in Norway
You're currently viewing a stripped down version of our content. View the full version with proper formatting.
GF/CF = Gluten- and casein-free diet

...

"Casein CAN cause autism!"

(*shock*)

"You told about this boy who didn't react to quitting the diet, it might be that an infection in his gut had healed after being on the diet"

My mom who often seem to support GF/CF told that children who has  been on the diet and then quitting it often regress later. When I look at the norwegian forum it seems to be common culture of thinking that diet-quitters are naive to think that they can manage without the diet.

"You just wont believe in people like DAN! and Dr. Reichelt because you've made up your own opinion already"

I'd rather say that I'm curious, but I'm kind of scared of this diet culture aswell.

"You've nothing to say against the diet before you've tried it yourself"

People who have tried medications, diets, supplements and alternative treatments all seem to say on the norwegian autism forum that they share a feeling of being "relieved" somehow.

I have actually been on casein-free diet since I was diagnosed at age of 13. My parents who have forced me on the diets say that I have become less depressed, which is according to this alternative doctor logical because "depression is a symptom of Aspergers". Less depressed maybe, but when I suggested that it might be because I got away from the bullying in primary, my parents unexpectedly denied that I had ever been bullied.

"It is proven that autism often have different causes from person to person with autism"

I'm currently just very sceptic to all this. Can't recall having seen anything like this on English sites, maybe I've just been protected from it by being on AFF. I don't want to be just a sceptic on this anymore, I want to have an informed opinion and know how to interact with this diet culture.

"After not having got any milk for two weeks, I took a Youghurt. I got dizzy, hid in a corner, found light painfull - I was more autistic"

The theory behind GF/CF presented by Dr. Reichelt (who is the one of the first to claim that GF/CF as something that might "relieve" symptoms of autism, and who resides in Norway) is that a lack of enzymes let undigested casein and gluten transform into peptides that enter the blood. It gets pumped up to the brain and cause damage to the brain and also addiction to gluten and milk. The alternative practioneer my parents visited made the analogy of me being a drug-addict for liking milk so much.

Another theory that has been mentioned on AFF, is simply that things that contain gluten and casein often cause digestive problems which causes uncomfortable sensory experiences. Autistic people are known to have sensory issues so it at leasts sounds logical. This theory is easier for me to accept, not sure if it is because it sounds more likely to me or if it doesn't demonize autism as much as the other theory does.

Tigger_the_Wing Wrote:
After trying GF and/or CF diets in various combinations for over 25 years in myself and my offspring, I sincerely believe that the evidence points more to a painful gut and/or an allergic skin reaction causing painful distraction than any 'drug-like' action on the brain.

I wonder how a the theory could be presented on the norwegian autism board.

Maybe I'm not the right to present it as I've had a few arguments there and maybe wouldn't be taken seriously.

'ey Simen!

It isn't just Dr. Reichelt who resides in Norway, also Ole Ivar Lovaas who happen to be the inventor of modern ABA and has promoted ABA from even before it was used to treat homosexuality in the early 1970's. I wonder if that has provoked me to get interested in autism controversies.

Pakrat Wrote:
ABA was singularly unsuccessful in altering homosexual behaviour and this suggests very strongly that homosexuality must be inborn. I would suggest the same with autism ie. that a person is born with this condition.

"Inborn behavior" doesn't necessarily mean unchangable by ABA does it?

Just find your conclusions confusing sometimes.

A common response to someone who has tried the diet and didn't found it usefull is:

"You must be totally free for any casein or gluten whatsoever for at least two weeks to know for sure"

Which I guess often implies that the person haven't followed the diet properly.

I know that in the GF/CF diet's childhood it was said that a single drop of casein or gluten could cause someone on the diet to regress, losing speech etc. Never heard of something similar happening before, apart from the someone I quoted earlier who took a youghurt.

Anyone else who have seen anything similar in regards to the statements I presented? Personally I get the "this must be some kind of cult or something" from the quotes. I am ofcourse one-sided when presenting this, as I mainly want to know what you think of the statements.
The person who said the thing about the youghurt said she got a negative on a test for casein intolerance, but has celiac for gluten. How much do you think negative sensory experiences are related to food intolerances of casein?

Pakrat Wrote:
I'd say it would certainly be a factor for some of us.

That would mean that the person (X) don't get much stress from undigested casein if X really isn't intolerant of it.

X have said things like

"I feel bad nowadays because I got some casein the other day"

maybe just to annoy me. I get that X is protecting Dr. Reichelt's theories as some kind of religion. (exaggeration)

Luai_lashire Wrote:
About the person who ate the yogurt and thought they had "regressed"-  They obviously know very little about nutrition and dietary science.
If you stop eating dairy for a long period of time- which could be weeks, months, or years- and then suddenly begin eating dairy again, you WILL have a VERY nasty reaction to it.  The body is not used to handling dairy and it leads to all sorts of nasty allergy-like symptoms, including nausea, headaches, dizzyness, fatigue, etc.

Would be nice to have that information available on a serious site, trying to find somewhere this is written but apparently I'm not that skilled with search engines.

Now someone said she was off from work for a week because of a diet break.
I really appriciated the link to Bagg's post.
And ofcourse pointing out that not all autistics like milk, which could be an argument against Reichelt's theories.
I'd say they were mostly grasping at straws...
Unfamiliar expression.

http://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/grasping+at+straws

grasping at straws

  1. trying to find reasons to feel hopeful about a bad situation.
  2. trying to find some way to succeed when nothing you choose is likely to work.

I remember pasteurized milk from Belgium, disgusting.

Ivar T Wrote:

Luai_lashire Wrote:
About the person who ate the yogurt and thought they had "regressed"-  They obviously know very little about nutrition and dietary science.
If you stop eating dairy for a long period of time- which could be weeks, months, or years- and then suddenly begin eating dairy again, you WILL have a VERY nasty reaction to it.  The body is not used to handling dairy and it leads to all sorts of nasty allergy-like symptoms, including nausea, headaches, dizzyness, fatigue, etc.

Would be nice to have that information available on a serious site, trying to find somewhere this is written but apparently I'm not that skilled with search engines.

Now I've seen this being said from two unrelated people here in Norway, and would like to know a source.

Cool, thanks!
Pages: 1 2
Reference URL's