A student emailed me a copy of an article that she read somewhere connecting milk and autism and schizophrenia. I chalk this up to overgeneralization of results. See for yourself, Rob Weisskirch Department of Child and Adolescent Studies California State University, Fullerton P.O. Box 6868 Fullerton, CA 92834-6868 (714) 278-2896 http://www.health.ufl.edu/post/post0399/post03_19/1.html March 19, 1999 Researchers cite possible link between autism, schizophrenia and diet By Melanie Fridl Ross Findings from two novel animal studies indicate autism and schizophrenia may be linked to an individual's inability to properly break down a protein found in milk, UF researchers report in this month's issue of the journal Autism. The digestive problem might actually lead to the disorders' symptoms, whose basis has long been debated, said UF physiologist J. Robert Cade, M.D., cautioning that further research must take place before scientists have a definitive answer. When not broken down, the milk protein produces exorphins, morphine-like compounds that are then taken up by areas of the brain known to be involved in autism and schizophrenia, where they cause cells to dysfunction. The animal findings suggest an intestinal flaw is to blame, said Cade, whose team also is putting the theory to the test in humans. Preliminary findings from that study - which showed 95 percent of 81 autistic and schizophrenic children studied had 100 times the normal levels of the milk protein in their blood and urine- have been presented at two international meetings in the past year but have not yet been published. When these children were put on a milk-free diet, at least eight out of 10 no longer had symptoms of autism or schizophrenia, said Cade, a professor of medicine and physiology at UF's College of Medicine and inventor of the Gatorade sports drink. His research team includes research scientist Zhongjie Sun, M.D., and research associate R. Malcolm Privette, P.A.C. "We now have proof positive that these proteins are getting into the blood and proof positive they're getting into areas of the brain involved with the symptoms of autism and schizophrenia," Cade said. More than 500,000 Americans have some form of autism, according to the Autism Society of America. The developmental disability typically appears during the first three years of life and is characterized by problems interacting and communicating with others. Many individuals exhibit repeated body movements such as hand-flapping and may resist changes in routine. Schizophrenia is noted for disturbances in thinking, emotional reaction and behavior and is the most common form of psychotic illness. More than 2 million Americans suffer from it, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. People with schizophrenia often hear voices not heard by others, or believe others are reading their minds, controlling their thoughts or plotting to harm them. In addition, their speech and behavior can be so disorganized that they may be incomprehensible to others. In the UF studies, researchers injected rats with the protein beta-casomorphin-7, one of the key constituents of milk and the part that coagulates to make cheese. They then observed their behavior and later examined brain tissue to see whether the substances accumulated there. Beta-casomorphin-7 was taken up by 32 different areas of the brain, Cade said, including sections responsible for vision, hearing and communication. "This could explain several of the things one sees in autism and schizophrenia, such as hallucinations," he said. "If part of the brain puts out a false signal because of casomorphin, it could result in the person seeing something that's not really there. "There are a whole number of behaviors that the rat has after beta-casomorphin-7 that are basically the same as one sees in the human with autism or schizophrenia," Cade added. Researchers suspect the process begins in the intestine, where the body absorbs the protein when a person eats foods containing it.
