Someone asked me a while back, “What is the biggest mistake people make with a GFCF diet?” My answer was then and still is today – SUGAR! When coaching families who have claimed, “gluten-free casein-free diet did not work for us," we many times have discovered that the amounts of sugar they were consuming daily were extremely high. How many grams of sugar do you think you’ve eaten today?

Let’s revisit for a moment the reasons why the Gluten-Free, Casein-Free diet was suggested in the first place.

1) The Opiate Theory: Large peptides of gluten proteins and the dairy protein, casein, were being discovered in urine sample of a high number of children on the spectrum. These peptides were Gliadomorphin and Caseomorphin. In this state, these peptides are opiods, just as their suffix “morphine” suggests. The neurological behaviors, high pain tolerance, constipation, strange behaviors associated with Autism are all in line with the effects of opioids in the system.

2) DPP-IV Deficiency: DPP-IV is an enzyme that is responsible for breaking down casein in the body, causing casein to not be metabolized. This can result in fermentation/putrefaction in the stomach and can lead to inflammation and dysbiosis.

So, what is significant about these theories, you ask? If you notice, each of these indications is occurring in the gut or digestive tract. How does this translate to a neurological effect? The answer lies not only in the gut-brain connection, but in the fact that so many of the kids on the spectrum have developed what is known as “leaky-gut”, or gut permeability. Sometimes this gut permeability is caused by an abnormal shift in the gut bacteria, causing there to be greater amount of “bad” bacteria than “good” bacteria. This is called dysbiosis.

Dysbiosis can happen for a number of reasons; but, whether the cause is excessive exposure to antibiotics, deficiencies in enzymes, or a genetic “weakness” in your gut lining to protect as it should, the dysbiosis means that there is an overgrowth of “bad” bacteria, like candida. In researching a number of sites regarding yeast overgrowth, the consensus was that an average approximation of 70% of people actually have yeast overgrowth. Why is yeast overgrowth so prevalent?

To answer that question, let’s ask ourselves, “What do these living micro-organisms eat to get their strength to invade 70% of the human race?” The answer is sugar. Sugar in all of its forms: sugar, honey, syrup, even carrots, fruits. Etc. If you think about it, that makes perfect sense. Have you ever tried to eat a picnic or at an outdoor barbecue. Those sweet treats attract ants and other pesky bugs quicker than anything!

To get a fairly clear visual of sugar’s effect with yeast, take two bowls or cups.
Fill each with 1 teaspoon of baker’s yeast and fill each with ½ cup of hot water.
Add 1 teaspoon of sugar to one of the cups.
Watch how much more the cup with the sugar ferments and grows than the cup without any sugar added.

This is a very simple display, though we all know that most of us consume far more than 1 teaspoon of sugar on a daily basis.

For children on the autism spectrum, this is extremely important to consider due to their vulnerability systemically to this infectious imbalance in gut flora. In a report filed on PubMed by the Division of Allergy/Immunology and Infection Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)-New Jersey Medical School (NJMS), studies involving children on the Autism Spectrum “indicate dysregulated innate immune defense in the ASD/Inf+GI children, rendering them more vulnerable to common microbial infection/dysbiosis and possibly subsequent behavioral changes.”

Behaviors that have been associated with yeast overgrowth:
Brain Fog
Hyperactivity
Short attention span
Lethargy
Irritability
Aggression
Stomach Aches
Head Aches
Loss of verbalization

Now, back to my previous question. How many grams of sugar you have you eaten today? And more importantly, how many grams of sugar has your child on a GFCF diet eaten today?

2 Enjoy Life Chocolate Chip Cookies = 12 grams of sugar (or 3 teaspoons)
1 Cup Almond Breeze Original = 7 grams of sugar (or 1.75 teaspoons)
2 Van’s Waffles with 2 tablespoons Maple syrup = 37grams of sugar (or eq. of 9.25 teaspoons)

These are all technically gluten-free and casein-free options, but if you are still seeing patterns of behavior that match any of the above symptoms of yeast overgrowth, you could be feeding the beast you are working so hard to fight against. If there is yeast present in your child's gut, can you imagine adding 9.25 of those teaspoons to the "bowl"?

As with any treatment method you choose for your child, it is critical to watch for signs that your child’s body may be telling you. If you are not getting the results you were hoping for on a GFCF diet, please don’t give up on the theory all-together. Try starving that yeast-beast by limiting, if not completely removing sugars and starches. Instead, eat a diet rich in vegetables and lean proteins. Purchase unsweetened milks or make your own nut milks and sweeten with stevia or a small amount of coconut nectar. If you don't want to remove fruits, avoid giving them to your child at the same time as a starch; instead, let them eat fruits by themsleves. Starving the yeast will help you get control of the intestinal flora and allow you to heal the leaky gut that is most likely present. When neurotoxins are not escaping into the blood-stream, those related behaviors will diminish.

It is important to remember that this process can take months, sometimes even up to years; so pull on your patient-pants and go to battle against the yeast-beast! Sugars should always be kept in check, but eventually, your child may be able to tolerate a larger daily allowance than in the initial “yeast-starving” stage. On the road to health, there are definitely challenges, and this is no exception; but, the end results, if you heed this sugar-warning, will end in sweet success!