Topic > The Impact of Gluten on Mental Health

When a doctor diagnoses a brain/mental disorder, the first thought after the diagnosis is what medication should be prescribed to the patient. While medication and an effective treatment method are necessary for most people, what the average person doesn't know is that many symptoms related to mental illness could also result from a gluten allergy. It's also important to recognize that celiac disease isn't the only gluten-related disease, it's just the best known. Gluten has a wide range of effects, especially on the brain and its daily functioning. Disorders including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, insomnia and brain fog can all result from or be only slightly affected by a gluten allergy. For many, a gluten-free diet has alleviated the symptoms of these disorders, prompting doctors to start with this approach when treating a patient. This is because the allergy is caused by an immunological reaction. Testing for this can be difficult, so research must continue to help detect these reactions. More and more people are becoming aware of non-celiac gluten sensitivity and it is important to understand that gluten can also greatly affect the brain; gluten can be the source of many mental/brain diseases and there is evidence that a gluten-free diet can alleviate the symptoms of these disorders. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Gluten-free labels can be noticed on almost every trip to a grocery store, gluten-free sections are present on almost every restaurant menu, and it is very common to hear someone say they are gluten-free almost everywhere. Everyone has heard this phrase, but what exactly is gluten and why does it negatively affect the brain? Gluten is made up of proteins and is found in foods containing wheat, barley and rye. When it comes to celiac disease, the allergy is caused by an adverse immunological reaction to wheat proteins. In gluten sensitivity (non-celiac) the symptoms are caused by an intensified immunological reaction to gluten and this reaction usually also arises from genetics. Gluten significantly degenerates the brain and nervous tissue in those with allergies, causing neurological problems. to (Gaesser). Because people hear about these allergies, they may assume that a gluten-free diet is appropriate for the overall healthy person. Many people follow gluten-free diets as a fad, under the assumption that because allergies and celiac disease are common, they immediately assume that gluten in general is harmful. This is not always the case as much of the problem is genetic in origin. It is essential to assume that the gluten-free diet is suitable for everyone to rest because there are benefits to gluten if you are healthy and not allergic. In addition to spreading the trend based on these assumptions, the benefits of the diet for someone struggling with mental health is very important information to convey. When considering depression, there are other ways symptoms can arise from gluten. In an article published in Functional Medicine Patient Education, the author states: “…the intestinal wall becomes excessively porous. This allows undigested food, toxins and bacteria to enter the bloodstream where they trigger inflammation throughout the body and brain” (“Gluten can cause depression, anxiety, brain fog and other brain disorders”). There are many different reactions that can cause brain damage. This article focuses on the bacteria present in gluten that cannot be digested bymost people. This is why many patients who suffer from celiac disease may also struggle with depression; there is a direct correlation. Apart from this, there is also a reaction called gluten cross-reactivity. Gluten has a similar structure to brain tissue. The immune system can then mistake gluten in the bloodstream for brain tissue and attack the brain. All of these reactions associated with gluten cause an imbalance with the bacteria (good and bad) in the digestive tract. Since the digestive tract is where many nutrients necessary for brain health are absorbed, many nutrients end up not being absorbed, thus slowing or blocking chemicals crucial in preventing mental illness. In reality, these processes are very complicated and can be difficult to detect. Testing or testing a gluten-free diet is usually how a gluten allergy is diagnosed due to the complexity. To test gluten-related disorders and treatment, the University of Maryland conducted a study over six years with 347 patients. . This study tested these patients' symptoms and how they are related, as well as treatment. The results showed that “the two most common extraintestinal manifestations with gluten were “foggy mind” (42%) and fatigue (36%)” (Reese Parish 44). Out of 347 patients these numbers are very significant in evaluating symptoms. These symptoms are also found in people with depression, anxiety, insomnia, and many other brain disorders. It is also critical to recognize that most of these subjects were not aware that these symptoms could result from gluten, they were chosen at random. The study then looked at thirty-seven patients with similar symptoms and treated them by removing gluten from their diet and all symptoms were reduced. This is still the subject of extensive research and discussion by many scientists, but studies and research have shown the benefits of a gluten-free diet on mental health and that the allergy is indeed common throughout the world. Many other studies validate the reasoning why doctors recommend the gluten-free diet. diets for mentally suffering patients. The publication Gastroenterology Research and Practice includes another case study of a five-year-old girl with extreme psychiatric problems. Until the age of four the little girl was healthy but suddenly began to have visual and auditory hallucinations. From fairy hallucinations to horrific scenes of a little boy, this girl has suffered a lot. At first his mother tried eliminating soy, corn and dairy products from his diet, but to no avail. Taking nutrition classes when she was older, she found the idea of ​​eliminating gluten that made her hallucinations completely disappear. “She describes being able to sit with a consistent focus on her studies for the first time in her life, leading to her completing her biology degree and getting a job” (Genuis). Without the gluten-free diet this girl may never have been able to continue school and succeed. A second case study also validates the improvement. This study was conducted in Melbourne, Australia by Monash University. The researchers focused specifically on brain fog related to gluten sensitivity and whether aspects such as memory, attention, processing efficiency and motor function would improve after eliminating gluten. The study results concluded: “Patients demonstrated significant improvement in 4 of the cognitive tests, and improvements in.