Good nutrition is essential to the prevention, treatment and cure of many illnesses, diseases and conditions. And that includes autism.

Defeat Autism Now, an organization founded by a group of doctors whose children suffer from the condition, found that diet plays a crucial role in treating children with many disorders including autism, Asperger’s sydrome, ADD, ADHD and ODD.

Various studies have reveled that children with autism do not have the right amount of beneficial bacterial in their digestive system. Since 85% of the body’s immune system is in the gut, without these bacteria it is hard for their bodies to absorb nutrients to build a strong, healthy immune and digestive system. Their diets also lack the necessary nutritional fats that are fundamental to developing brain cells.

According to the Body Ecology diet (bodyecology.com) and the book “Gut and Psychology Syndrome,” by Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride MD, children with any type of brain disorder can benefit from eating grass-fed raw dairy, including milk, cream, butter, cultured yogurt and fermented kefir.

Grass-fed raw dairy contains the crucial omega-3 fatty acids needed for brain function, good bacteria for a healthy digestive system, and plentiful vitamins A and D for proper growth and development. It is also rich in the raw, saturated fatty acids (similar to those found in mother’s milk) that nourish the brain and intestinal lining.

Other foods to consider as nutritional powerhouses are grass-fed beef, free-range poultry, organic eggs, fruits and vegetables – all produced without man-made chemicals, hormones, pesticides, dyes, or additives.