In my last post about childhood nutrition, I wrote about the more commonly researched dietary issues associated with neurodevelopmental disorders like autism and ADHD. Parents, even if you only work with a few of the modifications discussed, you may see a substantial change in your child's behavior. The research still isn't completely conclusive, but making dietary changes has no side effects, so why not give it a try?
Today I want to discuss an article that Dr. Frank found recently which can allow parents to delve a little further into nutritional modifications for the children they love. For children who do not respond as favorably as desired to the more well known dietary restrictions (wheat, dairy, preservatives, dyes, etc.), this may be the next step. The Great Plains Laboratory has evaluated a few of our patients for us, and children with autism came up with having high levels of oxalate. High oxalates are associated with elevated levels of yeast in the system and have been classically identified with kidney stones. It is possible to manage yeast with antifungal drugs, but it also may be managed with diet and probiotic supplementation.
The foods which are labeled as high in oxalates are:
Drinks
- Dark or "robust" beer
- Black tea
- Chocolate milk
- Cocoa
- Instant coffee
- Hot chocolate
- Juice made from high oxalate fruits (see below for high oxalate fruits)
- Ovaltine
- Soy drinks
Dairy
- Chocolate milk
- Soy cheese
- Soy milk
- Soy yogurt
Fats, Nuts, Seeds
- Nuts
- Nut butters
- Sesame seeds
- Tahini
- Soy nuts
Starch
- Amaranth
- Buckwheat
- Cereal (bran or high fiber
- Crisp bread (rye or wheat)
- Fruit cake
- Grits
- Pretzels
- Taro
- Wheat bran
- Wheat germ
- Whole wheat bread
- Whole wheat flour
Condiments
- Black pepper (more than 1 tsp.)
- Marmalade
- Soy sauce
Miscellaneous
- Chocolate
- Parsley
Fruit
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Carambola
- Concord grapes
- Currents
- Dewberries
- Elderberries
- Figs
- Fruit cocktail
- Gooseberry
- Kiwis
- Lemon peel
- Orange peel
- Raspberries
- Rhubarb
- Canned strawberries
- Tamarillo
- Tangerines
Vegetables
- Beans (baked, green, dried, kidney)
- Beets
- Beet greens
- Beet root
- Carrots
- Celery
- Chicory
- Collards
- Dandelion greens
- Eggplant
- Escarole
- Kale
- Leeks
- Okra
- Olives
- Parsley
- Peppers (chili and green)
- Pokeweed
- Potatoes (baked, boiled, fried)
- Rutabaga
- Spinach
- Summer squash
- Sweet potato
- Swiss chard
- Zucchini
Obviously, this can create a problem for parents because it removes many of the foods we turn to when we remove gluten and dairy, and children with neurodevelopmental problems often have taste and texture issues as well. Don't give up! Start by limiting how often you use the foods on this list in the same meal (ex: don't use spinach, carrots, and zucchini together). This list seems to exclude a lot of foods, but there are plenty of others out there which are still excellent for your child. We have also seen that it IS POSSIBLE to heal gut dysfunction in many cases, and you may be able to add foods back in after addressing permeability issues.
If you don't want to tackle this by yourself and need someone to help you along the way, schedule a nutritional consult with Dr. Frank!
Yours in health,
Dr. Chelsea
*Any health topics that are covered should not be considered medical advice. If you have specific questions please contact your doctor or make an appointment with us. You should check with your doctor before making radical dietary changes, particularly if you have heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or are pregnant or nursing.*
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