Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet and Autism Ranking:

Cost and Time

Cost

The major cost of following the gluten-free casein-free diet is buying gluten-free and/or casein-free foodstuffs, which are often more expensive than foodstuffs which contain them. For example, according to Stevens and Rashid (2008), gluten-free products were on average 242% more expensive than regular gluten-containing products.

The actual cost will also depend on whether the whole family is following the diet (which is common) and on whether you are buying ready-made meals or making them yourself. 

In the UK, it is occasionally possible to obtain prescriptions for foodstuffs for patients in specific circumstances, such as when they have a confirmed diagnosis of coeliac disease. In many areas of the UK these prescriptions are either being stopped altogether or reduced. Prescriptions for GFCF foodstuffs would not be made for someone on the basis of their autism diagnosis alone. 

Time

The gluten-free, casein-free diet is designed to be followed seven days a week. The actual amount of time you need to spend each week will depend on whether you are making all of the meals yourself and also how long it takes you to check the labels of foods you buy to ensure that they do not contain restricted foodstuffs.

Some supporters of the gluten-free casein-free diet recommend that you trial the diet for a period of three or four months. If it has not worked within that time they say it is unlikely to do so. Some researchers suggest that the most reliable trial results are obtained after you have been on the diet for more than a year.

However, most dietitians recommend that a 2-6 week trial of an exclusion diet followed by reintroduction is adequate to identify if a dietary change has been beneficial. This is backed up by the 2011 NICE guideline ‘Food allergy in under 19s: assessment and diagnosis’ that recommends “if non-IgE)-mediated food allergy is suspected, trial elimination of the suspected allergen (normally for between 2–6 weeks) and reintroduce after the trial. Seek advice from a dietitian with appropriate competencies, about nutritional adequacies, timings of elimination and reintroduction, and follow-up”.

Updated

16 Jun 2022

Last Review

01 Aug 2017

Next Review

01 Nov 2023