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Article
A review of the efficacy of the dietary intervention in autism spectrum disorder
Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences
  • Zainab Taha, Zayed University
  • Khalid A. Abdalhai, International University of Africa
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
1-1-2021
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an early-onset neurodevelopmental disorder with 1 in 68 children prevalence. The key symptoms of ASD include social deficits, verbal and non-verbal communication deficits, and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities. For unknown reasons, gastrointestinal symptoms are related to ASD. The aim of the current paper is to review the available literature on dietary interventions in children with ASD and provide up-to-date evidence. METHODS: Searches in online databases, using the search terms’ dietary intervention, “autism spectrum disorders,” and “autism” were conducted. The search targeted publications ranging from 2010 to 2020. RESULTS: Twenty-six studies with different study designs which evaluated the effectiveness of specific dietary interventions in children with ASD were included in our review. Several dietary interventions were of popular practice in the management of children with ASD, including elimination (gluten-/casein-free diet and oligoantigenic diet), modification (modified ketogenic diet), supplementation (minerals, vitamins, omega 3, and omega 6), and exclusion (food additives). Studies showed different results with varying degrees of evidence. Overall, data were inadequate to make accurate conclusions. CONCLUSION: There is little evidence to support the use of dietary interventions for children with ASD. Additional high-quality studies and further research are, therefore, needed.

Publisher
Scientific Foundation SPIROSKI
Keywords
  • Autism spectrum disorder,
  • Dietary intervention,
  • Vitamin supplementation
Scopus ID

85102698103

Creative Commons License
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International
Indexed in Scopus
Yes
Open Access
Yes
Open Access Type
Gold: This publication is openly available in an open access journal/series
Citation Information
Zainab Taha and Khalid A. Abdalhai. "A review of the efficacy of the dietary intervention in autism spectrum disorder" Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences Vol. 9 (2021) p. 88 - 94
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/zainab-taha/10/