Research points to Suboptimal Bone Development Risk in ASD

Nutritionist Kelly Barnhill describes new evidence that nutrient intake and dietary status are not contributing factors to the observed decrease in Bone Mineral Density in boys with Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Kelly Barnhill was a principal investigator in recent research published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders (November 2017) identified reduced bone mineral density in 4-8 year old boys with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) compared with healthy age-matched controls.

This provides evidence that dietary intervention in ASD, such as a gluten-free and/or dairy-free diet, which is frequently implemented to address feeding issues, food allergies, or GI concerns, does not result in deficiencies in calcium and vitamin D, or reduced BMD when implemented under the supervision of a qualified clinician.

The study results also indicate that boys with ASD reported significantly greater GI symptoms than boys without ASD, though this was not correlated with BMD status. And contrary to the interpretation of results in prior published studies, this work finds no evidence of reduced BMD in the managed use of a gluten and casein elimination diet, indicating that other factors are involved. The study abstract for the research described in the talk isonline