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Protein Nutrition in Autism

Chapter
First Online:
Part of the Advances in Neurobiology book series (NEUROBIOL, volume 24)

Abstract

Autism is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Although autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is said to be a “developmental disorder” because symptoms generally appear in the first 2 years of life. The primary cause of autism is still not clear and therapy is currently restricted to controlling behavioral abnormalities. However, emerging studies have shown a link between mitochondrial dysfunction and autism. Dietary supplements that promote mitochondrial biogenesis and inhibit the production of oxidative stress have been used to treat autism patients. Dietary adjustments in treating autism is a novel approach to suppress autistic symptoms. Supplementation with antioxidants has been found to not only inhibit cognitive decline but also improve behavioral symptoms in autism. Dietary supplements fortified with vitamins should only be given under the supervision of a physician. A wide range of nutraceuticals are under clinical trials to understand whether they physiologically target mitochondrial pathways and improve the quality of life in autism.

Keywords

Autism ASD Nutritional imbalance Dietary therapy Mitochondrial dysfunction Protein maldigestion Malabsorption Amino acids Peptides Gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet 
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Copyright information

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Department of PharmacologyJSS College of Pharmacy, JSS Academy of Higher Education & ResearchMysuruIndia
  2. 2.Central Animal FacilityJSS Academy of Higher Education & ResearchMysuruIndia
  3. 3.Department of Biochemistry and BiotechnologyAnnamalai UniversityChidambaramIndia
  4. 4.Department of Food Science and NutritionCAMS, Sultan Qaboos UniversityMuscatOman
  5. 5.Ageing and Dementia Research Group, Sultan Qaboos UniversityMuscatOman
  6. 6.Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health SciencesMacquarie UniversitySydneyAustralia
  7. 7.Research & Policy DepartmentWorld Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), Qatar FoundationDohaQatar

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