With all the talk about gluten-free foods and the recent Jimmy Kimmel interviews of people on the street asking them to explain gluten, you might be wondering yourself what exactly is gluten?

Gluten is a class of protein. In wheat, Gluten is made up of two main parts: GLIADIN proteins and GLUTENIN proteins. When it comes to allergies and food sensitivities, the majority of people react to the gliadin part (but some people react to the glutenin part instead or as well). 

Gluten comes from the grains wheat, rye, and barley. That’s it. Wheat, rye, and barley. For the most part, that just means:

- Foods made from wheat, rye, and barley flour, such as pasta, bread, cereal, crackers, cookies, cake, pretzels, croutons, pastries, etc.
- Whole grain dishes, like foods made with bulgur (another name for wheat: see below)
- Drinks or Condiments made from barley, wheat, or rye, such as beer, whiskey, many vodkas (which, these days, are often made from wheat), and malt vinegar. 

Gluten is not usually in any other food groups like dairy, meat, or vegetable based foods unless they either use some kind of wheat, rye, or barley ingredient as an additive or are processed in a factory that also makes food with wheat, rye, or barley. In other words:

What about "glutinous rice"? Does that have gluten in it? No - glutinous rice is called that because it’s sticky, not because it has gluten in it (the word “gluten” comes from the latin word for “glue”). All whole rice is gluten free.

What is “Corn Gluten”? Corn gluten is a term used by the agricultural industry to describe a protein byproduct of corn processing. It’s commonly used as a filler in livestock feed or pet food. It is NOT true gluten, and contains neither gliadin or glutenin. Thus corn gluten is actually “gluten-free”. However, many people with gluten allergy or sensitivity will also react to corn, especially if they are HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8 positive.

Do beans and lentils have gluten? Nope! Unless they have additives, beans and lentils are gluten free.

What about oats? It’s true - while oats are naturally gluten free, many brands of oats are processed in facilities that contain wheat and so they are frequently contaminated with gluten. Packages that say “Gluten Free Oats” have oats that have been grown in fields separate from gluten-containing grains, processed in separate facilities, and tested to make sure they are not otherwise contaminated.

What other (weird) stuff can have gluten in it? Because gluten is gluey it is sometimes used as a binder in medications and supplements, and it’s often added to cosmetics, hair care products, and play-dough. This is especially important with things that go on the lips (lip gloss, lipstick, etc) because you are more likely to ingest them, and with things like play-dough because children will touch this and then put their hands into their mouths. 

Further Reading:
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A great deal of evidence has been coming out in recent years that certain gut infections, such as clostridium species and candida, may be producing toxins that can either cause or aggravate certain symptoms of autism spectrum disorders, ADD, and ADHD. 

Why do these "bad bugs" cause so many problems? Certain pathogenic gut flora such as clostridium difficile and candida albicans produce harmful toxins that can get into your child's blood stream and cause all kinds of neurological and inflammatory damage. Toxins released by clostridia in particular can damage certain signaling proteins in the brain, leading to changes in behavior and brain development. 

In addition, harmful gut bacteria and yeast are often triggers for digestive issues such as diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, gas, and bloating. Issues with digestion are a common in kids with autism and can cause a great deal of discomfort and stress. 

Once pathogens such as clostridium and candida have been removed, either by pharmaceutical antimicrobials or by antibaceria and antifungal herbs, a long-term course of probiotics can help drive populations of good bacteria up while preventing a relapse of the bad. Once good bacteria are introduced, certain changes in diet, such as reducing pesticide and herbicide exposure by eating organic fruits and vegetables, can help your child's gut biome continue to thrive.

Having a healthy gut means both repopulating the gut with beneficial bacteria (probiotics) and healing and sealing the gut lining. Inflammation in the intestines, whether caused by bad bacteria and yeast or by immune issues such as food allergies can lead to a condition called intestinal hyperpermeability, or "leaky gut syndrome."  In leaky gut, a damaged intestinal lining is unable to form a complete seal between the foods the gut is digesting and the bloodstream. This allows tiny molecules of incompletely broken down nutrients to enter the blood, which can trigger even more inflammation and allergies.

There are a lot of ways we can help heal and seal the gut in kids with autism. Specific nutrients nourish the cells that line the interior of the intestines, while others can damage cells and encourage more inflammation in the gut. In addition, certain GI insults such as artificial preservatives, heavy metals, food allergens, pesticides and herbicides can lead to increased permeability with widespread negative effects. Getting the right foods in and getting wrong foods and environmental toxins out can have huge impacts on the health and function of the gut.