Autism and intestinal inflammation. Food recommendations.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a pervasive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by impaired social communication and repetitive and stereotyped behavior patterns.
Although autism is mostly recognized through behavioral traits and disabilities related to autism, comorbid factors such as distinct gut microbial composition , the immune response grown and gastrointestinal abnormalities . In addition to these characteristics, changes in the composition of the gut microbiome have been observed in individuals with ASD.
There are multiple factors that can alter the makeup of the microbiome, such as vaginal flora at birth, cesarean versus vaginal delivery, breast milk versus bottle feeding, early feeding and environmental exposure, and antibiotic use, which has one of the most significant effects on microbial ecology.
In this article we will mainly focus on anti-inflammatory diet which can considerably improve troublesome symptoms.
Reduce these foods, only very occasional intakes:
Red meat, sausages, dairy (except yogurt or goat kefir), grains (except oatmeal and rice, which you clean very well to remove arsenic, we can eat about 4 times a week as long as it is consumed in the form of resistant starch*)
Pastry products favors the growth of proteolytic microbiota that produce many beta-glucuronidase enzymes and favors the reabsorption of toxins.
Legumes (lentils, peas, chickpeas, beans...) we will eat, but without abusing it, once or twice a week. They contain lectins: they reduce intestinal protection and the mucous layer, increase permeability and change the structure of intestinal villi. With a good soak before cooking, some of the lectins disappear.
Avoid WHEAT, because it has a high content of fructans besides the fact that it is inflammatory in itself. Cereals containing wheat, kamut, spelt, rye and barley contain trypsin-amylase inhibitors: it is a protein that we cannot digest and increases the receptors of the immune system that initiate an inflammatory process, in addition to increasing intestinal permeability and microbiota firmness.
Cut back on whole grains, soy, corn because they contain phytates. Nuts and seeds provide benefits. It is advisable to soak seeds and nuts before eating them to remove excess phytates.
Increase your intake of prebiotics
Increase vegetables but not excessive fruits, eat no more than two to three fruits a day.
– Foods containing soluble fiber:
- Inulin: artichoke, banana and onion
- Pectin: Figs, plums, cherries, grapes, berries, carrots, cucumbers, celery, peas, beets, apple pulp and citrus pulp (boiled apples are much better).
- Fructans: onion, garlic, asparagus, radicchio, artichoke, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, beetroot.
- Beta-glucans: mushrooms
- Lignans: flax, sesame, tea, berries and crucifers. It is also present in fresh fruits and nuts.
– Foods containing resistant starch:
- Green banana, sweet potato, cassava or tapioca, boiled corn, cereals such as long rice and oats, legumes and potatoes.
Once cooked and refrigerated for 24 hours, their starch becomes resistant starch, a non-digestible form of starch that therefore cannot be converted to sugar and will continue to feed healthy colon microbiota.*
– Foods containing polyphenols:
- Cocoa (more than 85% cocoa) occasionally
- Vegetables: garlic, onions, cruciferous vegetables, tomatoes, radishes, celery, leeks, cabbage, endives and beets, (do not overdo it because they feed the entire microbiota in general, they can produce gas and difficult digestion, if so, reduce the dose)
- Fruits: red or forest fruits (currants, blueberries, raspberries), apple, pomegranate
- Olives, virgin olive oil.
- Nuts and seeds: walnuts, peanuts, almonds, pistachios, flax, sesame. (soaked)
- Other: kuzu, herbs and spices
Take probiotic foods from time to time:
- Fermented kombucha tea (you can drink a "shot" every morning will help with digestion and the glucuronidation function of the liver
- Pickled cabbage
- Korean Kimchi (helps detoxify pesticides in food)
- Soy yogurt
- Miso
- Tempeh
- Pickled food
*Resistant starch: cook all foods containing starch (tubers, cereals, legumes) and leave them in the refrigerator at a maximum of 4ºC for about 24 hours.
Consume them, for example, the next day or during that week (it can be heated and consumed).
In this way we reduce the glycemic load, it is not absorbed as easily turning into glycogen and later into fat and will feed our healthy bacteria in the colon.