Gluten and the Brain: Dementia and Mental Illness

In the October 2006 issue of Archives of Neurology, the Mayo Clinic presented multiple case studies of cognitive decline and dementia within two years of having celiac disease. If caught soon enough before permanent damage is done, the dementia can completely reverse.

I had a man come into my office who had just dicovered, after several years of suffering, that he had celiac disease. He had chronic pain, high blood pressure, severe rashes, edema, depression, and could not concentrate, focus, or remember enough to do his work as an engineer any longer. He was in the process of applying for disability because he couldn't think well enough to do his work.

This man discovered he had a gluten sensitivity, or celiac, not from any doctor testing him. He had been to multiple doctors and none had considered the possiblity of celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. He discovered it through his own experimentation of striving to become gluten free, and how that began to improve his symptoms. His family practice doctor was not supportive of his efforts, and he came to me to assist him in his journey towards health. He was extremely sensitive, even to the point where xantham gum in a product would set off severe edema. But now he is completely gluten free, he is back at work, lost weight, normalized blood pressure, no depression, rashes are gone, and his pain is gone except in an area of injury, which is much improved. But most of all, his brain is functioning again. He says that the loss of brain function was so subtle that he didn't realize how bad it was until it returned again.

Studies have shown increased levels of celiac disease in those with schizophrenia, and increased levels of IgG antibodies (which is gluten sensitivity without celiac disease) in those with bipolar disease, than compared to a population without mental illness. Gluten free diets have been shown to improve symptoms of these disorders in people with gluten sensitivities. Gluten sensitivities can also increase levels of depression.

Another Mayo Clinic study in the July 2009 issue of Gastroenterology shows that Celiac disease is four times more common today than it was in the 1950s. And this doesn't count the people who are gluten sensitive without celiac disease. It is a growing epidemic. It also showed that those with undiagnosed celiac disease were four times more likely to die than those that were gluten free during the 45 years of the study. This is a much more serious problem than even most physicians realize.

There are blood tests that show gluten sensitivity and possible signs of celiac disease, but the gold standard has always been an intestinal biopsy that shows destruction of the intestinal villi. However, another study out of Mayo Clinic has shown that those with the blood markers but no villi destruction still show metabolic changes of gluten sensitivity and should go on a gluten free diet to reduce their risk of further damage.

Celiac disease used to be considered a children's disease. It is now shown that the elderly are much more likely to have problems caused by gluten sensitivities than children. Celiac disease can start at any age. But any child or adult with "brain problems" should be tested for anti-gliadin IgG and IgA antibodies, and for endomysial antibodies. Or better yet, make the supreme effort to go gluten free for a month, then spend one day eating a lot of gluten, and see what happens. It may save your brain, your sanity and your life.

Until we meet again,

Dr. Judi