I’m starting to get a bit annoyed here. In April, Food for the Brain agreed to modify their advice on autism: they had previously suggested eliminating several types of food, without mentioning the need to seek professional advice; they modified this advice to emphasise the need to find replacement foods under the supervision of a professional.
However, I looked at the Brain Bio Centre site today (where readers are greeted by a very fetching favicon picture of Patrick Holford). Guess what their advice for autism is? Among other things, one is advised to:
Remove Allergens - In addition to nutrient deficiencies, the most significant contributing factor in autism appears to be undesirable foods and chemicals that often reach the brain via the bloodstream because of faulty digestion and absorption. The foods which seem to adversely influence a large number of children include wheat and other gluten containing grains, milk and other dairy products including casein, citrus fruits, chocolate, artificial food colourings, paracetamol, salicylates (prunes, raisins, raspberries, almonds, apricots, canned cherries, blackcurrants, oranges, strawberries, grapes, tomato sauce, plums, cucumbers and granny smith apples), nightshade family foods (potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines). The strongest direct evidence of foods linked to autism involves wheat and dairy and the specific proteins they contain - namely gluten and casein. These are difficult to digest and can result in allergy especially if introduced too early in life.
Many people would struggle to eat a balanced diet after removing all these foods, and people on the autistic spectrum may find this harder than usual. Depressingly, though, the Brain Bio Centre site does not make clear the need to find suitable replacement foods, or to carry out such radical dietary changes under medical supervision.
I could go through the ’science’ behind some of these claims in more detail, but it’s late and my brain cells are starting to revolt at all this Holfordesque ’science’. What I’d emphasise for now is that the Brain Bio Centre page on autism is lacking in some very basic, and important, cautions. And that these are points I’ve previously made, and which have lead to modifications to Food for the Brain advice - but not, apparently, to the more radical advice on the Brain Bio Centre’s site.
10 responses so far ↓
Shinga // August 2, 2007 at 1:47 am
It is a little irritating that when you make progress on improving one site, it doesn’t carry over into anybody perceiving that they need to edit the others to make them consonant.
jonhw // August 2, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Yep, definitely irritating.
synthesist // August 3, 2007 at 2:09 pm
A not entirely serious question maybe, but why Granny Smith apples in particular ?
Samba // August 3, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Ah, that would be because they can taste quite sour so they obviously have “more” in than other apples which don’t taste as sour and therefore have “less”. Makes sense to me!
tifosi246 // August 3, 2007 at 4:56 pm
Hmm, if you avoided all those foods you’d be left with water and a dire need to take supplement pills. Given his shares in supplement providers does Holford also own a stake in Evian?
Soylent Green here we come!
Shinga // August 3, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Point well taken, Tifosi.
Granny Smith - surely some personal animus at work here because otherwise??
jonhw // August 3, 2007 at 6:28 pm
tifosi - avoiding all these foods would certainly make it near-impossible to eat a balanced diet. Re shares in supplement companies, does Holford own any now he sold Health Products for Life? Of course, he still has a competing interest in supplements, either way…
re. why granny smith apples should be avoided - on the need to avoid these, I’m with Holford. Clearly, they’re nasty: about the only fruit I really don’t like… Not sure why the need for the health claims, though.
Patrick Holford -a professor? // August 17, 2007 at 10:24 pm
[...] The case for Holford mentions the possibility of starting a northern Brain Bio centre. If you want to know more about that wheeze, check Holfordwatch. [...]
The University of Teesside’s Case for naming Patrick Holford as a Visiting Professor: a critical analysis « Holford Watch: Patrick Holford, nutritionism and bad science // August 19, 2007 at 5:47 pm
[...] infrastructure. Given the high quality of the Brain Bio Centre’s autism advice - where the advice on dietary change isn’t even safe, let alone evidence-based - I’m sure this is just the type of health ‘care’ that [...]
wassaaap // September 25, 2007 at 10:22 pm
I tink you all got the animus problem!!!!!!!
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