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.
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.
Yep, definitely irritating.
A not entirely serious question maybe, but why Granny Smith apples in particular ?
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!
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!
Point well taken, Tifosi.
Granny Smith – surely some personal animus at work here because otherwise??
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.
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I tink you all got the animus problem!!!!!!!