Casein-free and gluten-free diets for children with autism
What it found
In six trials involving 214 children, removing casein and gluten from the diet made little difference to core autism symptoms.
The authors found no reported side effects from the diet.
What they found
Studies in people
Core autism symptoms overall
Across the six trials, standard tests showed almost no meaningful differences in core autism symptoms between children on the special diet and those who were not.
Communication and social skills
One trial found better scores for communication and social interaction in children on the diet. Another trial also saw improvements in autistic traits, communication, and social contact.
Parent-reported changes
Any other differences seen between the groups came from tools where parents rated their children, or from other developmental measures.
Side effects
None of the six trials reported any unwanted side effects linked to following the gluten-free and casein-free diet.
What the authors conclude
- They conclude there is little proof that removing gluten and casein from the diet helps children with autism symptoms.
How it was done
There are few effective treatments for the main symptoms of autism in children. The authors wanted to update the evidence on whether a diet free of gluten and casein helps.
They searched medical databases up to August 2016 for randomised controlled trials. They found six trials that together included 214 children with autism. The trials compared a gluten-free and casein-free diet against a control group.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- These trials measured specific autism symptoms over set periods. They cannot show whether the diet has other long-term effects on children's health or development.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- The Medical University of Warsaw, Poland; University of Warsaw, Poland
The paper
- Title
- Gluten- and casein-free diet and autism spectrum disorders in children: a systematic review
- Type
- Systematic review
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Piwowarczyk A, Horvath A, Łukasik J, Pisula E, Szajewska H (2018). Gluten- and casein-free diet and autism spectrum disorders in children: a systematic review. European journal of nutrition. doi:10.1007/s00394-017-1483-2PubMed 28612113DOI
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error