The fundamentals of the diet are fairly straightforward, if a little unusual from the mainstream perspective:
- Animal products including fish, meats and fats, home-made meat stocks, soups and bone broths, eggs, ghee and butter, stews and casseroles
- Pro-biotics
- Vegetable juices, cooked and raw vegetables
- Fermented foods such as yoghurt and kefir, sauerkraut, or other fermented vegetables
- Organic nut butters
The startling thing about the diet is not the food, though. It is the author’s claim that this diet is an effective and appropriate treatment for autism, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, depression, and schizophrenia.
She makes a case for unbalanced gut flora inherited at birth from the mother and affected by early use of antibiotics and immunisations, leading to a compromised immune system, leading to increased toxins in the blood crossing the blood-brain barrier, and there affecting the development of the brain. The GAPS diet, therefore, is aimed at healing the gut so that toxins can be dealt with by a healthy immune system, leading to normal functioning of the brain.
I can’t quite get my head around the idea that there may be a link between our digestive issues and our brain development, or the brain development of our children. But I don’t have enough science to point out any flaws in the author’s case.
What do you think? Is this sound crack-pot to you? Have you investigated this previously? I’d love to hear your opinions!
6 comments:
I'd say why not give it a whirl? There doesn't seem to be anything inherently risky with the diet; it seems quite balanced, actually.
I would be leery of the claim that this is a way to heal mental illnesses and to correct improper brain development; however, your description of her digestive tract/brain barrier connection does make sense to me.
Makes me want to try it out! I think I'll look into this. Can you send me a list of sources you used? Is there a book?
Kim
Hi Kim,
I've included the links for most of the sources in the post. There was another blog in which the author was using the diet, but because I wanted to get to the source, I didn't read much of:
http://www.cheeseslave.com/2008/08/22/gaps-diet-testimonial-aspergers-allergies-and-asthma/
Yes, there is most definitely a book, which is also advertised on the GAPS website www.gapsdiet.com.
Let me know what you think!
Hi Penny,
I wandered onto your blog after reading a post on the BW group page, and I saw this post. I honestly don't know much about this diet, but my nephew was diagnosed with ADHD last year. My brother and sister in-law wanted to see if they could make changes in order to avoid medications so they tried the Feingold diet with my nephew. The changes in him have been so dramatic. They changed it a bit (cut out sugar unless it is a fruit) and he (and now the rest of the family) eats a very similar diet to the full GAPS diet. I don't know how effective it would be with autism, but it is worth a shot to see.
Amy
Hi Amy,
That's fascinating! Thanks so much for sharing.
Penny- sorry to ask for the sources- I read your post in my google reader, and it didn't include the links. Of course when I checked it on your actual site, it did. :) I feel sheepish!
Hey, no problem Kim! It made me go back and find the rabbit-trail of links, which was an interesting exercise, and I never have a problem with re-reading interesting things :-)
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