June 12, 2009
Gluten Intolerance And Depression
Although we acknowledge celiac disease may easily carry to constipation if not treated by a strict gluten-elimination diet, numerous studies now look to indicate that celiac disease might likewise lead to depression.
How precisely? Well that piece isn’t too defined just yet. We might call the problem celiac disease and depression, but its origins might be from celiac disease itself, malnutrition resulting from malabsorption deriving from coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, or even just the anxiety and stress people often face while adjusting to a gluten-free life-style.
Numerous research workers think that malabsorption can interfere with the body’s handling of the neurotransmitters which regulate mood. In particular, malabsorption-related deficiencies of tryptophan appear to contribute to depressive disorder within coeliac patients. Tryptophan is all-important for the body’s output of serotonin, which is the central neurotransmitter expected by the body for mood regulation as well as the neurotransmitter which empowers our body’s tolerance of anxiety.
Thus one must wonder then if adapting to a gluten-free diet can aid in treating depression. If the patients clinical depression is associated with malabsorption of nutrients, then being gluten-free may ease treatment, as the bowels mend and nutrient assimilation increases.
With many instances, it appears the malnutrition theory seems to be the most substantive and legitimate. And what occurs before you start suffering this malnutrition from gluten intolerance? That’s right, celiac disease constipation. Celiac disease constipation, in particular, results from the break down of villi which line your small intestine. This villi is critical for nutritient assimilation. So I hope you now understand how constipation from celiac disease can lead to a kind of celiac depression.
DISCLAIMER: I do hope my blogging on this matter helps people reading, but please note that I am not a medical professional so you must consult with a medical doctor before taking any medical advice from the Web.