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Dietary interventions for autism spectrum disorder: a meta-analysis
While certain dietary interventions are commonly used by young people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to treat their condition, Fraguas et al. (2019) tell us that the evidence does not currently back up the efficacy of these interventions. This review uses a meta-analytic approach to evaluate its efficacies on the symptoms, functions, and clinical domains in subjects with ASD. Firstly, placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized clinical trials were selected if they assessed the efficacy of dietary interventions in ASD. Among the 27 eligible clinical trials, adding up to a total of 1028 participants (542 intervention vs. 486 placebo), dietary supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins, and/or other supplements were more effective than the placebo at enhancing clinical features, symptoms, and functions. Although the heterogeneity of the study methodologies was a limitation of this meta-analysis, there was low risk of publication bias. Furthermore, Fraguas et al. believe that there are specific dietary interventions that have potential roles in the clinical management of symptoms and functions in autism, despite the lack of evidence on the effectiveness of non-specific dietary treatments provided by this meta-analysis. [NPID: ASD, Autism, Autism Spectrum Disorder, brain development, cognition, communication, social skills, neurodevelopmental disorders, fatty acids, omega-3s, vitamins, supplements]
Year: 2019
