UMA ABORDAGEM SOBRE A INTOLERÂNCIA ALIMENTAR AO GLÚTEN E CASEÍNA EM CRIANÇAS AUTISTAS

Abstract

Autism, known as ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) is a developmental brain disorder that affects the neurological system. It usually manifests itself in the first years of life. Among the symptoms of the disease we can mention the difficulty in communication (especially in speech) and social interaction, delay in motor development and sensory hypersensitivity. Autism syndrome is included in the category of Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD). Repetitive behaviors and restricted interest are also common symptoms observed. Regarding the pattern of food consumption, it is often observed that autistic people reject some types of food or do not accept new types of food, which ends up causing nutritional deficiency problems. Other problems faced are those related to gastrointestinal aspects, with diarrhea and constipation being the most frequent. Some authors argue that the consumption of gluten and casein can increase the frequency of gastrointestinal symptoms and that the exclusion of foods with these protein fractions could bring benefits to the health of autistic individuals. Thus, the objective of this work was to carry out a survey of studies that addressed food intolerance to gluten and casein in ASD patients and the food industry market aimed at this audience. Articles in Scielo, Capes Periodicals, PubMed, ScienceDirect and Academic Google databases from the last 10 years were searched, using the words food intolerance, selectivity, casein and gluten in children with ASD. Among the works with the theme in question, it was demonstrated that, despite some results being satisfactory, gluten and casein restriction diets still need more research. Thus, food technology is highlighted by developing gluten- and casein-free products, such as cakes, breads, gluten-free cookies, with nutritional quality and sensory aspects similar to traditional ones.