Could Food Be the Missing Piece? Placid Nutrition Centre Explores the link in Autism and Nutrition.

• April 22, 2025
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Placid Nutrition Centre was a proud sponsor of the Autism Awareness and Family Fun Day in Kilimani, Nairobi.

Saturday 12th April was quite a chilly morning in Nairobi; the dull clouds threatened to muddy the beautiful family fun day organized by Mosaic Minds to raise awareness on Autism.

When the sun finally appeared in the blue skies, it was a memorable day, filled with fun and lots of learning.

What are some key takeaway lessons from the interactions with parents, guardians, and caregivers of individuals on the spectrum?

Autism is a complex condition characterized by difficulties with social communication, like struggling to understand what is said and finding it hard to express themselves. Additionally, individuals with autism may have difficulties with social interaction, such as not being able to interpret how others are feeling or to express their own feelings. With much research, a growing body of evidence keeps emerging, emphasizing the role that nutrition plays in enhancing the outcomes of autistic individuals.

Individuals with autism may have the following characteristics: 

• Making repetitive movements, such as hand flapping or rocking, and may have restrictive behaviors so that they dislike change but feel more secure when they can stick to routines they know.

• Having ‘special interests’ that absorb their attention and are very important to them
• Being over-sensitive or under-sensitive to light, sound, taste, touch or smell 
• They can be very anxious because they have difficulty understanding what is going on or what may happen next. 
• Having meltdowns (tantrums) or shutdowns when they seem to switch off. Both these are caused by feeling overwhelmed, either through sensory overload or when their level of anxiety is more than they can cope with.  

Background

Clinical trials and research have proven that nutrition and lifestyle interventions can be very supportive to individuals with autism. For example, many individuals with autism have severely disrupted digestion, so restoring balance in the gut is a key focus from a nutritional perspective. The following are also important nutritional and lifestyle factors for consideration:

• Balancing blood sugar
• Identifying food allergies, such as gluten and dairy
• Addressing nutrient deficiencies
• ensuring an optimal intake of essential fats, most notably omega-3 fatty acids

Nutrition & Lifestyle Interventions

Improve digestion

Research has identified a possible link between the imbalances in the composition of microbiota in the gut of individuals with autism. Possible causes of imbalance in gut microbiota include early onset and prolonged use of antibiotics in autistic children due to different infections.

 Broad-spectrum antibiotics kill good as well as bad bacteria in the gut, and this may be why autistic individuals commonly have bowel irregularities.

Restoring gut health/microflora may include supplementing digestive enzymes and giving probiotics to restore the balance of gut bacteria. Both measures may help to restore balance to the digestive tract and promote normal absorption. A simple source of healthy gut bacteria may include an easily accessible drink like probiotic-enriched yoghurt, however, the parent needs to be aware of any lactose intolerance in the child.

Key Actions for Improving Digestion

Increase Probiotics: The key to digestion is having a balanced gut ecology. This means plenty of beneficial gut flora and lower levels of the non-beneficial strains. In addition, exclusive breastfeeding ensures the children have more strains of beneficial bacteria.

Increasing consumption of fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, and kimchi is one means of increasing probiotics through food. However, you need to consider the preferences of the individual; if they do not like fermented foods, don’t push them down their throat.

Supplement with digestive enzymes: Digestive enzymes assist by helping to break down food, making the nutrients more available for absorption and relieving the strain on the digestive system, whilst it recovers. 

Balance Blood Sugar

There is much overlap between ADHD/hyperactivity and autism, so for autistic individuals who show signs of hyperactivity, improving blood sugar balance is an important consideration. 

Dietary studies consistently reveal that hyperactive individuals eat more sugar than other individuals.

When an individual regularly snacks on refined carbohydrates, sweets, chocolate, fizzy drinks, juices, and little or no fibre, protein, and monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats to slow glucose (sugar)absorption, the levels of glucose in their blood will see-saw continually. This may cause fluctuations in their activity levels, concentration, focus, and behaviour and impact brain function and development.

Key Actions for Improving Blood Sugar Balance

To support blood sugar balance, it is really important to reduce consumption of sugary and processed foods and drinks and limit caffeine consumption. Consume more whole foods, such as vegetables, fruit, wholegrains, fish, lean meats, such as turkey and chicken, nuts, seeds, and pulses, will help to support blood sugar levels.

Some parents have also noted that their autistic kids have an appeal towards white bread; exploring healthy options to enrich the bread would be a good hack to improve their intake. Homemade bread can be improved with gluten-free flour recipes, wholemeal flour, or to add bran, seeds, oatmeal, butter and many other healthy options.

Root tubers are another easier route to achieve a lower glycemic index in your meals.

Increase Omega-3 Fats

Deficiencies in essential fats are common in people with autism. Research has shown that some autistic individuals have an enzymatic defect that removes essential fats from brain cell membranes more quickly than it should. This means that autistic individuals are likely to need a higher intake of essential fats. It has been found that supplementing Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which can slow the activity of the defective enzyme, has clinically improved behaviour, mood, imagination, spontaneous speech, sleep patterns, and focus in autistic individuals. Clinical trials with omega-3 supplementation have found that when individuals with autism were given omega-3 supplements, improvements in symptoms such as hyperactivity, social ability, concentration, irritability and aggression were reported.

Key Actions for Increasing Omega-3 Fats

Eat oily fish: In Kenya, fatty fish, which are good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, include Nile perch and omena (silver fish). Other fatty fish, though not commonly consumed in Kenya, include salmon, mackerel, herring, and trout.

Seeds, such as flaxseeds (also called linseeds) and chia seeds, are equally good sources. Additionally, supplement with omega-3 through fish oil or a vegan alternative. Look for a supplement that contains both EPA and DHA.

Increase Vitamins

Clinical Trials and research have shown that vitamin B6, C, and magnesium supplements significantly improved symptoms in autistic individuals. 

Key Actions for Increasing B6, Vitamin C and Magnesium

Dark, leafy green vegetables, chickpeas, and salmon are great sources of B6.

Peppers, citrus fruits, broccoli and cauliflower are good sources of Vitamin C. 

Green vegetables, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are all good sources of magnesium. 

It is always best to obtain these nutrients, and indeed all nutrients, from food. However, some individuals may benefit from supplementation; for example, a multivitamin and mineral complex supplement can work. However, this should be done under close supervision or guidance of your dietitian or physician. 

Avoid food allergies

One of the most significant contributing factors in autism appears to be undesirable foods and chemicals that often reach the brain via the bloodstream because of faulty digestion and absorption. Parental care or guardian care is key to note and recognise some of these allergies or triggers early enough. 

Major allergies linked to autism involve wheat and dairy, and the specific proteins they contain – namely, gluten and casein.

These are difficult to digest and, especially if introduced too early in life, may result in an allergy. 

Peptides found in these proteins can have a major impact on the brain, increasing opioid activity, leading to many symptoms we describe as autism. 

Exorphin peptides, for example, are derived from food containing gluten and casein and have been detected in 80 per cent of autistic patients. Clinical studies have observed that as levels of peptides in the blood decrease, some symptoms of autism may decrease. ‘If [levels of peptides] can be reduced to normal range,’ research says, ‘we typically see dramatic improvements.’

To achieve this, studies recommend a gradual withdrawal of foods, waiting three weeks after the removal of dairy foods (casein) before removing wheat, barley, and rye (gluten) from the diet. Initially, your individual may go through ‘withdrawal,’ and their symptoms may get worse for a bit.

Keep a food diary and note their behaviors and symptoms alongside all the foods they’re eating. This can help to identify which of the usual suspects they are sensitive to—citrus fruits, chocolate, artificial food colorings, eggs, tomatoes, avocados, red peppers, soy, and corn. 

This process should be closely monitored by a doctor and a qualified nutritionist or a dietitian.

A deterioration of symptoms is possible if changes are made too quickly. Any major changes to the diet should be supervised by a qualified dietitian or nutrition practitioner experienced in this area.

For more information, contact info@placidnutritioncentre.com