Resumen
Objetivo: Evaluar la eficacia de la dieta libre de gluten y caseína (GFCF) en la reducción de síntomas conductuales y gastrointestinales en niños con Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA). Métodos: Se realizó una revisión integrativa de la literatura en las bases de datos PubMed, BVS y SciELO, incluyendo estudios publicados entre 2015 y 2025 en portugués, inglés y español. La pregunta de investigación fue guiada por la estrategia PICO. Se incluyeron 17 estudios: ensayos clínicos, revisiones sistemáticas, estudios observacionales y metanálisis. Resultados: La mayoría de los estudios (76%) reportaron mejoras conductuales, como mayor interacción social y menor irritabilidad, y el 47% identificó beneficios gastrointestinales, incluyendo disminución del dolor abdominal y del estreñimiento. Los efectos fueron más consistentes en subgrupos con alteraciones intestinales previas. No obstante, la heterogeneidad metodológica y el tamaño reducido de las muestras limitan la solidez de la evidencia. Conclusión: La dieta GFCF presenta beneficios potenciales en niños con TEA, especialmente en aquellos con síntomas gastrointestinales previos, pero requiere un uso individualizado y más investigaciones con diseños rigurosos.
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