Treating hyperactivity: The gluten/casein-free diet
THERE’S a likelihood of preemies like my son Amari becoming hyperactive — something also evident in children with autism and other developmental challenges. My family was encouraged to try a gluten/casein-free diet to help control his hyperactivity, and we have found success!
Gluten is found in a mixture of two proteins present in cereal grains, especially wheat, but also found in rye, spelt and barley. It is responsible for the elastic texture of dough. Common foods that are usually made with wheat include pasta, bread, flour, tortillas, cookies, cakes, muffins, pastries, cereal, crackers, beer, oats, gravy dressings and sauces. On the other hand, casein is the main protein present in milk and (in coagulated form) in cheese. Casein is therefore found in dairy-based products — yoghurt, mac and cheese, pizza, etc.
This advice is strictly from the perspective of a parent, so if you are considering this diet, please consult with your child’s paediatrician before commencing. Be warned that your child’s doctor will point to that fact that there are no clinical studies that prove this diet has any effect on a child’s behaviour. If you conduct your own online research, however, you will see thousands of parents and professionals who work with children with special needs who swear by its effectiveness. My own research found that proponents of this diet argue that some children are unable to digest the protein in many cereals (gluten) or in milk (casein) completely. Anecdotal evidence suggests that some parents, though not all, find that removing casein and gluten from their children’s diet increases eye contact, attention span, and general mood, while reducing problems like tantrums, self-stimulatory behaviour (such as hand-flapping and rocking) and aggression. Others have reported that providing a diet free of casein and gluten aids children in successfully learning daily living skills like dressing, using the toilet, as well as improving coordination and imaginative play activities. In a small number of cases, such dietary changes have been claimed to have a dramatic effect, enabling the child to attend mainstream educational programmes in a matter of months. However, critics want it noted that to date there has been no rigorous research that would qualify the diet as an evidence-based treatment.
Despite no evidence-based study as proof, the testimonials by other parents and special needs therapists were enough for us to introduce Amari to this diet. And his behaviours have improved tremendously. Although he is still somewhat bouncy, it does not compare to how hyperactive he was before the change in his diet. Prior to this diet, having already been on an extremely low-sugar diet, there were days when Amari would run non-stop in the house for hours, touching and pulling on whatever he could reach. At that time he had a very high dairy diet, consuming several 200ml boxes of milk as well as yoghurt daily. In terms of gluten, he was already almost gluten-free, but we decided to remove flour from his diet, so no breads or buns. Thankfully he never liked cereals, sandwiches or hot dogs. He is now restricted to no ice cream or traditional birthday cakes. Thankfully, he prefers meals including sweet potato, pumpkin and protein several times for the day, supported by fruits for snacks. This has made the transition much smoother, except for his love for boxed milk. This took some work to wean him off, which we did cold turkey. We removed all those and saw an immediate difference in his behaviour which has been consistent for several months now. Earlier in the process, on one particular day, we gave him a meal with both casein and gluten. His hyperactivity went through the roof, and took about three days to wear off.
Other than a belief that this diet will not work, your doctor’s main concern will be that your child will lose key nutrients with this diet. Foods containing gluten and casein are major sources of protein as well as essential vitamins and minerals such as vitamin D, calcium and zinc. If you decide to try this diet, then you will need to do research into other foods that provide the same nutrients. Thankfully, Amari was already eating other calcium-rich foods such as sardines (with the bones) and green vegetables. Other non-dairy sources of calcium include legumes, almonds, oranges, seeds and soy, and several other options. There are also alternatives for gluten-rich foods such as white and brown rice, coconut flour, breadfruit flour, quinoa, etc.
Changing your child’s diet may not be easy. It was easier for us based on how Amari was already eating. Some kids are picky and only eat casein and gluten-based foods. Birthday parties present another challenge — of note, for Amari’s seventh birthday we had a gluten/casein-free cake made with coconut flour and coconut oil, with no milk or butter added.
As parents, you’ll probably be faced with the task of sending or bringing special meals and treats when your child eats away from home. This too was not hard for us as we already send Amari with a cooked meal for lunch at school. This therefore means preparing separate meals for your child from the rest of the household. A safe approach would be to do so gradually; in some instances parents try gluten foods before dairy foods to determine if there is a change, or vice versa.
My husband and I have fully bought into this diet for Amari. We have seen a significant improvement and would definitely encourage other parents to try it, knowing that the changes and scarifies will be worth it. We are still exploring other natural ways to further reduce his hyperactivity.
Next time I will write on how to get your bouncy kids to bed on time and how to make them stay asleep.
As stated before, this is a parent’s advice. Before you make any changes, please consult your child’s paediatrician.
Sara, mom to seven-year-old Amari, is an advocate for children with developmental delays. Amari was born three months early at one pound, and was hospitalised for three-and-a-half months after birth. E-mail her at francis.m.sara@gmail.com.
