Moira wrote:
>
> My son is 5 and was diagnosed as autistic/mentally retarded two years ago.
>
> We went gluten free about a year ago, roughly, the improvement has been
> absolutely unbelievable.
>
> On gluten, he was in an opioid state, stared at fans and lights for hours,
> was completely out of it.
>
> Now that he is off gluten, he is alert and focused, however, he is not cured.
>
> The other day at preschool, the class was doing a cooking project and my son
> ingested gluten.
>
> The autism symptoms came back with a vengeance and he was impaired for at
> least 3 days.
>
> Anyway, my son is now on a diet as follows:
>
> breakfast:
>
> meat or fish
> raw vegetable like broccoli or celery
> brown rice bread (gluten free, yeast free)
>
> lunch:
>
> meat or fish
> raw vegetable
> baked potato chips
>
> dinner:
>
> meat or fish
> raw vegetable
> baked potato
>
> My question is, do you think some carbos are ok? He loves, craves, carbos.
> I am able to get everything else down by having the carbos there. I eat with
> him and direct him to take one bite meat, one bite vegetable, one bite
> carbo. If I do not watch him, he will gobble all the carbos and leave
> everything else. Not always, but he definitely craves carbos. He does love
> ground meat, like ground turkey.
>
> He is already so restricted (gluten free, casein free, yeast free!) that I
> don't see how I can take out the carbos.
>
> What does the list think?
>
> I also do rotation with the meats so one day we will have turkey all day,
> the next fish all day, and so forth.
>
> I also supplement with essential fatty oils, a multivitamin, etc.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Moira
I am interested in how dietary choices result in hormonal and
immunological changes. Of particular interest to me is how diet plays a
central role in gene expression and the expression of
neurotransmitters. I understand the "post hoc, ergo propter hoc"
reasoning which leads us to gluten (more specifically gliadin)
association vis-a-vis wheat ingestion and a myriad disorders. However,
I would share with you some tid bits from a book I've been reading for
my research interests called _Nutrition_and_Brain_Development
(Dhopeshwarkar, 1983).
"Insulin is known to reduce blood amino acid levels but when this
hormone was injected into the rats, surprisingly the blood levels of
tryptophan did not decrease, in fact it was elevated. The same effect
was observed after a high carbohydrate diet. Undoubtedly the effect of
the high-carbohydrate diet was mediated by the insulin response. Thus,
it seemed that hormones are capable of regulating neurotransmitter
levels." p.135
High levels of blood tryptophan are readily converted to serotonin.
Serotonin is a neurotransmitter with is associated a "reduction in
excitability at least in the cortical, striatal, hypothalamic, and
cerebellar neurons. In other areas, such as the thalamus, the action
may be opposite. [Serotonin] may also play a role in sleep, sexual
activity, and mood." (Dhopenshwarkar, 1983, p. 137)
What this means is that eating starchy, glucose-laden carbohydrates may
have a profound effect on the generation of brain neurtransmitters,
particularly serotonin. As brain serotinin levels rise, this may have a
"mind dulling and sedating effect". This may explain, at least inpart,
the impaired intellectual performances of these individuals. Note:
These individuals are frequently far from intellectually impaired; it
appears that their performance or ability to demonstrate intellectually
is impaired ... a big difference. Some experts believe that the
hyperactivity component of ADD [ADHD] may stem from physiologically
"numbing effect" [my paraphrase] of increased serotonin levels. The
theory proposes that the tired, sleepy, fuzzy-headed child is
hyperactive as a desparate attempt to "STAY AWAKE" or to "FORCE
THEMSELVES INTO THE PRESENT. This seems plausible when one considers
even a single episode of becoming drowsey while driving a car and
literally STRUGGLING to stay awake and not succomb to overpowering
gravitational forces of sleep. Remember? You breath deeper, move
rapidly, perhaps even scream, sing or otherwise become "hyperkinetic".
It is also interesting to note that current medical treatment includes
the modulation of serotinin levels in the central nervous system.
Curious!
I urge my students to avoid carbohydrate dense, specifically
glucose-laden, meals prior to an examination. Those who yield to this
advice report feeling better about exams and I can say that anecdotally,
they perform better as well. I also have a handful of students with
diagnoses of ADD. They also report doing much better on a
Neanderthin-like program.
Just some thoughts ... hope they help.
Andrew =8-)
--
Andrew S. Bonci, BA, DC, DAAPM
Assistant Professor, Department of Diagnosis
Cleveland Chiropractic College
6401 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, Missouri 64131
(816) 333-7436 ex39
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