Autism is a brain disorder that causes sufferers to have extreme difficulty communicating and relating to others. It is often marked by anti-social behavior like screaming and obsessive repetition of actions, which takes an enormous emotional toll on sufferers and their families. PETA has created a billboard to alert the public to the connection between this devastating disease and dairy-product consumption.
More research is needed, but scientific studies have shown that many autistic kids improve dramatically when put on a diet free of dairy foods. One study of 20 children found a major reduction in autistic behavior in kids who were put on a casein-free diet (casein is a component of cow's milk). And another study done by researchers at the University of Rome showed a "marked improvement" in the behavior of autistic children who were taken off dairy products.
The reason why dairy foods may worsen or even cause autism is being debated. Some suspect that casein harms the brain, while others suggest that the gastrointestinal problems so often caused by dairy products cause distress and thus worsen behavior in autistic children.
Regardless of the cause, testimonials show that many people with this disease may be able to find relief with a simple dietary change—removing milk from their diet. The Internet contains numerous heart-wrenching stories from parents of kids who had suffered the worst effects of autism for years before dairy foods were eliminated from their children's diets. Here is one mother's story:
Then I realized that Miles' ear infections had begun when he was 11 months old, just after we had switched him from soy formula to cow's milk. He'd been on soy formula because my family was prone to allergies, and I'd read that soy might be better for him. I had breast-fed until he was 3 months old, but he didn't tolerate breast milk very well—possibly because I was drinking lots of milk. There was nothing to lose, so I decided to eliminate all the dairy products from his diet. What happened next was nothing short of miraculous. Miles stopped screaming, he didn't spend as much time repeating actions, and by the end of the first week, he pulled on my hand when he wanted to go downstairs. For the first time in months, he let his sister hold his hands to sing "Ring Around a Rosy."
It isn't surprising that dairy products may worsen this disease, considering that milk has already been strongly linked to cancer, Crohn's disease, and other serious health problems. Anyone who wants to alleviate or avoid the devastating effects of autism should give cow's milk the boot and switch to healthy vegan alternatives instead. To learn more about a diet free of dairy products, order our free "Vegetarian Starter Kit" today.
I am a vegetarian with autistic spectrum disorder/difference (ASD), so I really wanted to like this campaign. I tried to look past the flippant disrespect of turning my personal hell into an attention-grabbing joke--I think "got autism" is the opposite of funny, to put it mildly. Even beyond that, however, this campaign has serious issues, starting with the overreaching implications of summarizing the research as suggesting "a link between cow's milk and autism". It is implied that there is a causative link, which, as far as I can tell, is utter prevarication on PETA's part. Twisting and stretching the science this way can only be counterproductive, as it gives faulty ammunition to the converted while leading others to believe that people with ASD are crying wolf at any and every possible thing we can blame. I think this kind of subtle misinformation may lead neurotypical people to be even more cynical and skeptical toward us, which may become yet another barrier to the services, coping-based research and institutional/workplace accommodations that we so desperately need, though I hope I am wrong about this result. Also, it is not just casein that is believed to exacerbate ASD problems, but gluten as well. If you really cared about those of us with ASD, you would advocate GCFD (gluten- and casein-free diet) instead of just focusing on the half which conveniently fits with your message. Autistics tend to empathize with animals and have a strong sense of social justice, so many of us are vegetarian or at least make strides toward this end; it is extremely frustrating to see my friends with ASD preyed upon by corporations and restaurants peddling gluten-rich foods with no regard for the effects on our brains. Autistics are especially vulnerable to these products (frozen meals made of isolated wheat gluten, vegetarian burritos on flour tortillas from the taco shop, etc) because many of us struggle to perform the sequence of tasks required to prepare a wholesome meal and so we end up eating "convenience food" even when we are not pressed for time.
IF there was a link towards dairy products and autism, surely the GROSS MAJORITY of the population for the last few hundred or so years would be on the spectrum? This isn't the case. And what about mammals as a whole? They suckle their young. OMG! They are giving milk to their young! Autism risk! Next you'll be telling us that studies have shown that eating pork promotes AIDS or something.
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