Anxiety and Gluten: What's the Truth?
Going gluten free has become a controversial topic in the wellness community. Some feel that gluten is enemy #1 while others poke fun at the culture’s fixation on gluten. While gluten is not a problem for everyone, there are times when gluten can impact health, including mental health.
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder. When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten, it damages their intestines and prevents them from absorbing nutrients and functioning properly. This usually leads to gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea and pain. However, the symptoms are not limited to the gut and both anxiety and depression are recognized by reliable sources as possible symptoms of celiac disease.
It’s also important to note that not all people with celiac disease have obvious symptoms. This is commonly called silent celiac disease. The same reaction is happening to gluten in the body but for whatever reason, digestive symptoms are not showing up. Celiac disease can go hand in hand with other autoimmune conditions such as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (a common cause of hypothyroidism and a common contributor to anxiety symptoms). A naturopathic doctor can help start you on the process of testing for celiac disease and other autoimmune diseases if they are suspected.
Gluten Sensitivity (Without Celiac Disease)
There is emerging evidence that gluten can negatively impact anxiety and depression symptoms in patients who are sensitive to gluten even if they don’t have true celiac disease. Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is a recognized condition although more research needs to be done to better understand it. NCGS involves experiencing negative symptoms after consuming gluten without actual damage to the intestines. These individuals feel better on a gluten free diet but traditional testing for celiac disease comes back negative in this population. It’s important that anyone who thinks they are sensitive to gluten be evaluated for true celiac disease so that they can get proper care and monitoring.
Treatment
Not everyone with anxiety or depression should be put on a gluten free diet. With my patients, I do a thorough assessment before determining if gluten could be playing a role in their mood symptoms. It’s not often the case, but it does happen so if you need guidance in this area, don’t hesitate to reach out.