The Connections Between Wheat, Celiac disease, Non-Celiac disease and Mental Health by Psychiatry Redefined

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Psychiatry Redefined is the work of Dr. James Greenblatt, psychiatrist, who is committed to healing mental health issues. 

He writes: "The research on the relationship between the gut and the brain continues to find startling connections and correlations. One condition not often considered as having a relationship with mental health is celiac disease. Normally, celiac disease is considered a cause of intestinal problems due to an inflammatory reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat."

And yet there are strong studies that link eating gluten when one has the condition celiac or non-celiac disease and all sorts of mental health symptoms from depression, addiction, delusions, and frank psychosis. 

Read his article here. It is a four minute read and even highlights the oft missed concept of non-celiac disease, so complicated because there are no biomarkers for this just as serious condition to celiac disease. And twice as common. 

Here is an exerpt: 

Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity

It is also worth being aware that a significant subset of patients that react to wheat do not have classic celiac disease or wheat allergy. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) has only recently been identified as a clinical diagnosis. There aren’t currently any biomarkers to identify patients with the condition. Diagnosis is based solely on improvements from a gluten-elimination diet followed by a gluten challenge.

Estimates for the incidence of NCGS in the general population range from 0.6% to 13%. Digestive symptoms often mirror the symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome, but mental-emotional symptoms are also prevalent, with anxiety being reported most commonly (Roszkowska 2019). Depression and brain fog may also be symptoms of NCSG, although better studies are needed to fully confirm the relationship with depression.

Conclusion

Celiac disease and NCGS can cause or contribute to mental-emotional symptoms. While testing for celiac disease can be helpful, a subset of patients that do not have celiac disease likely still react to wheat or gluten. When other options have been eliminated, NCGS should still be considered as a potential diagnosis. For a subset of patients with mental illness, gluten elimination may help to provide a reduction or elimination of symptoms.

How I diagnose celiac disease and non-celiac disease: In 2002 Dr. Farrell wrote in Lancet that there is a role for genetic testing. 

I get persons interested in finding out if they are celiac or non-celiac disease to contact www.enterolab.com     and as a minimum order the genetic tests. These include examination for genes for celiac disease and non-celiac disease. 

To your health

Dr. Barbara 

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Note that all information on these pages is accurate to the best of our knowledge. Information from secondary sources should be double checked before being cited. Information is not meant to be medical advice. Please see your family doctor if you have concerns.