One of the downsides of being gluten intolerant, or having Celiac disease, is that not only can it make you feel pretty darned awful physically, but that it can also drastically affect your mood, mental state, and even your clarity in thought. Numerous studies have been researching the links between a gluten free diet (because of the presence of Celiac Disease) and depression. One study *showed the introduction to a gluten free diet and following the diet for up to one year still failed to affect the symptoms of depressions in some celiac patients. To have lingering and continuing issues with depression, even after doing all the ‘right’ things, would obviously be frustrating to anyone following a healthy gluten-free lifestyle. Some have hypothesized that there is also a link between the feelings of depression and a reduction in the quality of life in celiac patients.
Even though these patients are experiencing a higher quality of life because they no longer have the symptoms of Celiac Disease (diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, cramping, bloating, fatigue, ulcers, skin rash, and migraines) because of the gluten free diet, they were still feeling depressed because of a reduction in the quality of their life. There are many possible reasons for this, but one might be that an individual’s neurotransmitter profile still hasn’t been reset to their own optimum personal balance. Because of the high amount of carbs in grains products, they are powerful co-factors in the production of the neurotransmitter serotonin. Serotonin is responsible for maintaining calmness, combating depression, & also plays a role in the quality of sleep. People who suffer from gluten-intolerance or celiac disease may have had greatly reduced intake of grains or even avoided grains altogether, even gluten-free diet sources, just to escape the debilitating physical effects of gluten intolerance. This often can lead to a long term serotonin deficiency, which can snowball into not only depression, but to chronic insomnia and other mental issues. It often takes varying lengths of time to reverse this condition, and will not occur 'overnight'.
There is also an adjacent reduction to the quality of life associated with the feelings of being alone in your gluten free diet, especially when there is no one closely connected with you that is on your gluten-free diet and gluten-free lifestyle.
The solution for many gluten intolerant people is to not only change their diet as they begin to eat gluten free, but also the need to readjust many aspects of their thinking as well. It would be helpful for such individuals to seek the advice of their physician or dietitian, or even see if they can locate a ‘gluten-free lifestyle coach’ who might be able to approach their recovery from a broader, more ‘holistic’ approach. Over time most gluten-intolerant individuals will respond very favorably, both physically and mentally, to a strict gluten-free lifestyle in conjunction with a healthy balanced overall diet. The main point is for the individual who is beginning a gluten-free diet and gluten-free lifestyle to be very patient with their progress, and to continue a healthy gluten-free lifestyle on a permanent ongoing basis.
Living on a gluten free diet does not have to be difficult. Whether you’ve recently been diagnosed with Celiac Disease or are choosing a gluten free diet for weight loss or other reasons, Gluten Free Market Info is here for you.
Resources
*Addolorato G, et al. Anxiety and depression in adult untreated celiac subjects and in patients affected by inflammatory bowel disease: a personality “trait” or a reactive illness? Hepatogastroenterology. 1996 Nov-Dec; 43(12):1513-7
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