A review of dietary interventions in autism.

BACKGROUND

Anecdotal reports and parent surveys have shown evidence that dietary interventions have had some success in ameliorating the symptoms of autism.

METHODS

In this paper, key findings that prompt a dietary intervention strategy are reviewed and popular intervention diets are described.

RESULTS

There is a significant body of literature pertinent to dietary interventions in autism from the perspectives of gastroenterology, immunology, and excitotoxicity. Some articles report benefits to patients on standardized rating scales.

CONCLUSIONS

This article presents a survey of the literature related to dietary interventions studied in the context of autism as well as various hypotheses on the rationale for dietary interventions. Patients or caregivers increasingly are attempting such interventions. Further studies are needed to establish the efficacy of these diets, the patients who would best benefit from diets, the mechanism of action, and the role of diets in addition to other treatments.