REID Diet
What Is the REID Diet?
The Reduced Excitatory Inflammatory Diet (REID) is a diet and lifestyle focused on balancing neurotransmitters and reducing inflammation by following a whole food diet and avoiding foods that include glutamate, which can be excitatory and inflammatory.
The REID diet was created by Katherine Reid, a biochemist and mother of a child with autism.
The main premise of the REID diet is to improve neurotransmitter balance and reduce inflammation through whole foods and the reduction of free glutamate.
Glutamate or glutamic acid is an amino acid. Amino acids link together to form proteins. Glutamate also functions as a neurotransmitter. Glutamate is obtained through diet, often as monosodium glutamate (MSG). There is debate whether or not glutamate can pass through the blood-brain barrier but it can be made in the brain and does exert function there. Glutamate has an excitatory effect on neurons, meaning it makes the neuron more likely to fire.
When eaten, proteins undergo the controlled process of digestion and glutamate is released slowly into the body. However, when proteins undergo commercial processing, like in pasteurization or fat removal for example, glutamate is released from the bonds of other amino acids and becomes “free glutamate”.
The belief is that an excess of free glutamate can cause chronic activation of any biological process that responds to glutamate. Excess free glutamate and inflammation feed into one another in a vicious cycle. In the body, when one is high, so is the other.
Other conditions are also associated with excess glutamate, like OCD, seizures, ADHD and anxiety. These symptoms are also common among those with autism.
REID vs GAPS
The REID diet and the GAPS Diet are similar in that they are indicated for people with metabolic and neurological conditions such as autism, ADHD, Alzheimer's, depression, anxiety etc. However, the REID diet differs from the GAPS diet in a number of ways.
The GAPS diet focuses on avoiding certain types of carbohydrates and incorporating many fermented foods to rebalance the microbiome. The REID diet’s primary focus is the avoidance of free glutamate.
Meat and fermented foods are a large component of the GAPS diet. These foods are not emphasized in the REID diet. Additionally, while the REID diet emphasizes raw vegetables, the GAPS diet does not. The GAPS diet has a strong emphasis on gut healing and so raw vegetables are not introduced until the later stages, due to the stress that highly fibrous foods can have on a damaged gastrointestinal tract.
Conditions That May Benefit From the REID Diet*
Neurotransmitter imbalance
Seizure disorders/epilepsy
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
*More research on the REID Diet and these conditions needs to be done, though many people claim that this diet helped them with the aforementioned conditions.
Recommended Foods
Organic foods
Whole foods instead of commercially processed foods
Lots of vegetables (especially nutrient-rich, high-fiber green vegetables)
Variety is emphasized
Reducing animal protein consumption (consider meat as a topping/flavor enhancer or limiting it one serving of animal protein per day or less.) Calculate your child’s protein needs in the protein note.
The ideal REID plate contains 75% raw and cooked vegetables, 15% protein and fats (<10% from animal meats) and 10% fiber-resistant starch and fruits.
Foods to Avoid
Excitatory and inflammatory foods to avoid include gluten, casein, soy, corn and ready to eat commercially processed foods, especially those that contain free glutamate and aspartate.
Inflammatory foods like refined sugar, certain oils, food dyes and food additives (like artificial sugars and food dyes)
Any food to which a person is sensitive
Avoiding excess consumption of animal protein and eliminating dairy are important because these foods are fermented by bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. This process releases toxins and contributes to inflammation.
Lifestyle Changes
Avoiding sources that contribute to total load and inflammation including:
Chemicals in household cleaners
Commercial personal care products (choose non-toxic options - see EWG or BecauseHealth.org for recommendations)
Pesticides/herbicides (like glyphosate)
EMFs (electromagnetic frequencies)
Recommended Supplements
Supplements are not preferred with this diet per Dr. Reid, but may be necessary for some people. In these cases, the nutrients are very targeted based on the needs of the person.
All supplements should be without additives.
Helpful Resources
DISCLAIMER: Before starting any supplement or medication, always consult with your healthcare provider to ensure it is a good fit for your child. Dosage can vary based on age, weight, gender, and current diet.
REID Diet & Autism in the Research
Role of Glutamate
GABA and glutamate are the main inhibitory and excitatory neurotransmitters in the human brain. [8]
Glutamate is important for maintaining functions such as memory, learning, behavior, motor activity, etc. Abnormal glutamate levels might be associated with a wide variety of neurobiological and behavioral alterations in ASD. [3]
Glutamate is involved in neuroinflammation in autism. [7]
It is well known that microglial immune cytokines can be activated by, heavy metals (for example, mercury), amyloid, bacteria, and glutamate. [8]
The most postnatal brain development occurs during the last trimester and the first two postnatal years. An excess of extraneuronal glutamate can interfere with neuronal migration patterns, differentiation and synaptic development, resulting in varying degrees of abnormal brain architecture and hence differing severities of autistic features. [8]
Many children with autism suffer from irritability and aggression. The levels of homocysteine and glutamate are associated with each other, and this is a target for treating aggression. [7]
Glutamate Levels
Many studies indicate higher plasma and serum levels among children with ASD. [1, 3, 5, 6, 7] However, autism is frequently comorbid with other conditions where glutamate dysfunction is considered a key component, such as seizure disorders, ADHD, anxiety and it is unclear if glutamate levels are the result of these comorbidities or autism itself. [1]
A study showed increased glutamate in the brains of children with ASD and OCD compared with controls and glutamate concentration seems to be associated with the severity of compulsive behavior. [2]
Increased glutamate levels may be implicated in the high rates of seizure disorder in ASD. [3]
Blood glutamate levels can be used to reflect the glutamate levels in the brain. [3]
The increased plasma glutamic acid is not limited to patients with autism, but its level is increased in their siblings and parents. [7]
Why Are Glutamate Levels High in Children With ASD
Increased gliosis (reaction of the central nervous system to any injury of the brain/spinal cord) in the brains of ASD may disturb the regulation of certain types of enzymes and thereby alter the metabolism of glutamate/glutamine, resulting in high levels of glutamate. [3]
Further studies should investigate why glutamate level is increased in autism. Is it due to dietary origin, metabolic problems, vitamin B6 involvement, glutamate receptor problems, and glutamate transporters problems or all of them? [7]
The gut certainly can influence the blood brain barrier through gastro-intestinal-derived hormonal secretion, allowing some drugs, amino acids, and small molecules to permeate barrier systems and even influence cytokine production. [9]
Glutamate and GABA
Reducing GABAergic inhibition produces neuronal hyperexcitability, and can lead to deleterious neurological and psychiatric sequelae, including ASD. [4]
Levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase, which is involved in converting glutamate to GABA, are reduced in the brains of ASD, resulting in increased levels of glutamate in the brain. [3]
Increased glutamate levels are compatible with the findings that the level of proteins involved in transforming glutamate to GABA is decreased. [7]
The Bottom Line
The REID diet is relatively difficult to follow because of the avoidance of processed foods and the need to cook and prepare meals/snacks from scratch. For some people, an entire mental shift in what constitutes a typical diet may be necessary. There is also the task of determining what foods contain free glutamate and what ingredients to watch out for. This diet would also make it quite difficult to eat out. The research does show that excess glutamate levels in the blood/brain are correlated with autism although it is unclear if this is due to excess glutamate in the diet. Perhaps it is due to an inability to use glutamate effectively. Since glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter, it is possible that lowering intake could have the effect of reducing problematic autism behaviors. This diet would be worth trying for children who have had some success with a gluten-free, casein-free diet and/or the Failsafe diet because both eliminate some sources of free glutamate and taking this restriction a step further may provide more benefits.
Scale: 1 - 5 Stars ★ (5 Stars Being the Best)
We rate the quality and quantity of the Research supporting the efficacy of the diet in improving symptoms as well as the Ease of Adherence, taking into account the cost, resources available, time required, social acclimation to the diet including options available in restaurants and grocery stores which assist in convenience and adherence
Ease of Adherence ★★
This diet is quite difficult to follow in its entirety.
Research ★★
There is a great deal of research on elevated blood glutamate levels among children with autism but the cause of this elevation is yet to be determined. Thus restricting glutamate from the diet is one potential method to reduce the levels in the body, reduce inflammation and reduce symptoms.
Grade: B
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[1] Rojas DC. The role of glutamate and its receptors in autism and the use of glutamate receptor antagonists in treatment. J Neural Transm (Vienna). 2014;121(8):891-905.
[2] Naaijen J, Zwiers MP, Amiri H, et al. Fronto-Striatal Glutamate in Autism Spectrum Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology. 2017;42(12):2456-65.
[3] Zheng Z, Zhu T, Qu Y, Mu D. Blood Glutamate Levels in Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PLoS One. 2016;11(7):e0158688.
[4] Fernell E. Further studies of GABA and Glutamate imbalances in autism are important challenges for future research. Acta Paediatr. 2019;108(2):200-1.
[5] Khalifa D, Shahin O, Salem D, Raafat O. Serum glutamate was elevated in children aged 3-10 years with autism spectrum disorders when they were compared with controls. Acta Paediatr. 2019;108(2):295-9.
[6] Cai J, Ding L, Zhang JS, Xue J, Wang LZ. Elevated plasma levels of glutamate in children with autism spectrum disorders. Neuroreport. 2016;27(4):272-6.
[7] Ghanizadeh A. Increased glutamate and homocysteine and decreased glutamine levels in autism: a review and strategies for future studies of amino acids in autism. Dis Markers. 2013;35(5):281-6.
[8] El-Ansary A, Al-Ayadhi L. GABAergic/glutamatergic imbalance relative to excessive neuroinflammation in autism spectrum disorders. J Neuroinflammation. 2014;11:189.
[9] Obrenovich MEM. Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain. Microorganisms. 2018;6(4):E107.
