Gluten, the gut and the brain: the benefits of being gluten-free

By The Low Carb Clinic, 5 July 2019 - 476 words (3 minutes)

Craving bread? Pasta? Cereal? Comforting, familiar and ubiquitous, these foods can be hard to give up – even if you understand their effect on insulin and blood sugar levels, it is easy to look in the mirror and suddenly notice you’ve got a takeaway sandwich in your hand.   

So, here’s a little extra motivation to help you say ‘no’ to the packet of crackers or the blueberry muffins at morning tea: the perils of gluten.  And the great thing is, you won’t have to do anything extra to avoid gluten – a whole-food based, low-carb diet is ‘naturally’ gluten-free.    

Gluten, gluten, everywhere.  

Gluten is found in grains including wheat, barley and rye. It is a mixture of proteins, and it is what gives the dough its sticky, stretchy consistency. Gluten is found in so many common foods - bread, baked goods, pasta, noodles, and cereals. It’s also used as an additive in most processed foods – battered and marinated foods, sausages and processed meats, thickened soups, sauces and beer[1].  

Gluten and the gut.  

Celiac disease is a serious health condition caused by gluten. Gluten triggers an immune response in the body which severely damages the gut lining. This causes severe pain, diarrhoea, poor nutrient absorption, depression and bowel cancer[2].  Gluten is not just a problem for people with celiac disease, a gluten-free diet has whole-body benefits, for everybody[3].  

When gluten enters the digestive tract, it can set off an immune reaction[4], this reaction increases the ‘permeability’ of the gut – which means that the tiny gaps between the cells which line our gut wall become wider, and the gut becomes ‘leaky’[5]. Think of the gut as a tightly woven mesh bag, holding most things in – but in the presence of gluten, the mesh begins to loosen.  

The damage to the gut means that things that are meant to stay inside our gut can now move into the bloodstream – like large proteins and bacteria – and so the body is having to constantly fight them. The damage to the gut also prevents proper nutrient absorption. The body becomes systemically inflamed and starved of essential nutrients – it is no wonder that a ‘leaky gut’ and gluten sensitivity are associated with a huge range of chronic conditions – including arthritis, diabetes, asthma and multiple sclerosis[6]. 

Gluten and the brain.  

This inflammation can also affect the blood-brain barrier. If the blood-brain barrier is damaged, it can’t protect the brain as it should, leaving the brain susceptible to inflammation[7]. There is an association between a damaged gut, gluten sensitivity, and a huge range of mental health conditions – from schizophrenia to autism, depression, anxiety and cognitive decline[8][9][10].  

Gluten and addiction.  

Gluten is broken down into morphine-like called gluten exorphins[11]. These are ‘bio-active’, which means they activate receptors in our bodies – the opioid receptors.  

In the brain, the exorphins (also called gluteomorphine) influence the body’s pain and emotional pathways via our opioid receptors[12] (just think of the cravings and comfort eating associated with carbohydrates!). Constant activation of our opioid receptors causes them to ‘down-regulate’ (or shut-down), which means we require more and more of whatever substance to activate them. The familiar downwards spiral of overeating and a sense of ‘withdrawal’ from carbohydrates – gluten, working just like a drug in the body[13] 

Enough motivation? 

Four more reasons to stay low carb:

• Heal your gut
• Decrease systemic inflammation
• Promote brain health
• and reduce food addiction.

We can see that people with celiac disease are not the only ones affected by gluten – give yourself the best chance at overall health, by sticking with low-carb.  

 

References

1. Bressan, P., & Kramer, P. (2016). Bread and other edible agents of mental disease. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10(130). doi:10.3389/fnhum.2016.00130 
2. Ludvigsson, J., Reulfors, J., Osby, U., Ekbom, A., & Montgomery, S. (2007). Coeliac disease and risk of mood disorders - a general population-based cohort study. Journal of affective disorders, 99(1), 117-126. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2006.08.032 
3. Perlmutter, D. (2019). Grain Brain. London: Yellow Kite Books. 
4. Bressan, P., & Kramer, P. (2016). Bread and other edible agents of mental disease. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10(130). doi:10.3389/fnhum.2016.00130 
5. Obrenovich, M. (2018). Leaky gut, leaky brain? Microorganisms, 6(107). doi:10.3390/microorganisms6040107 
6. Bressan, P., & Kramer, P. (2016). Bread and other edible agents of mental disease. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10(130). doi:10.3389/fnhum.2016.00130 
7. Bressan, P., & Kramer, P. (2016). Bread and other edible agents of mental disease. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10(130). doi:10.3389/fnhum.2016.00130 
8. Jackson, J., Eaton, W., Cascella, N., Fasano, A., & Kelly, D. (2012). Neurologic and psychiatric manifestations of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. The Psychiatric Quarterly, 83(1), 91-102. doi:10.1007/s11126-011-9186-y 
9. Rogers, G., Keating, D., Young, R., & Wong, M. (2017). From gut dysbiosis to altered brain function and mental illness: mechanisms and pathways. Molecular Psychiatry, 21(6), 1-11. doi:10.1038/mp.2016.50 
10. Perlmutter, D. (2019). Grain Brain. London: Yellow Kite Books. 
11. Bressan, P., & Kramer, P. (2016). Bread and other edible agents of mental disease. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 10(130). doi:10.3389/fnhum.2016.00130 
12. Peters, S., Biesiekierski, J., Yelland, G., Muir, J., & Gibson, P. (2014). Randomised clinical trial: gluten may cause depression in subjects with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity - an exploratory clinical study. Aliment Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 39, 1104-1111. 
13. Lustig, R. (2018). The Hacking of the American Mind. New York: Avery Publishing Group.