Some physicians involved with natural medicine believe that autism spectrum disorder, as well as many other illnesses, are caused by genetic defects in the body that interfere with the metabolism of certain nutrients. For example, there is some evidence that children with autism spectrum disorder may have trouble metabolizing vitamin B 6B6.18 Based on this theory, various supplements have been advocated for the treatment of autism.
Additionally, it has been suggested that food additives, food allergies, or other dietary factors may play a role in autism spectrum disorder, but meaningful supporting evidence for this theory has not been presented. One very small, but well-designed study failed to find benefit through eliminating gluten and casein from the diet.19 The study followed a double-blind design; interestingly, parents generally thought they saw improvement, but perceived improvements were equally divided between the treatment group and the placebo group. And a 2008 review of all published randomized trials on the subject found no convincing evidence that the elimination of gluten and/or casein from the diet of autistic children lead to any significant improvement.20
It has been suggested that combining magnesium with vitamin B 6 B6 could offer additional benefits, such as reducing side effects or allowing a reduced dose of the vitamin.
