Eating sweet bread can cause depression, anxiety and psychosis in people intolerant to gluten, study reveals

2023-09-29 19:06:24

In recent years, unsuspected consequences of conditions that had remained “forgotten” such as celiac disease have been observed, as it was found that gluten intolerance increases psychological and psychiatric disorders.

What are the symptoms of celiac disease?

In accordance with Mayo Clinicceliac disease, celiac disease or gluten-sensitive enteropathy is a reaction by the immune system to the consumption of gluten.

Gluten is a protein found in foods containing wheat, barley and rye.

People with celiac disease present an immune response in the small intestine that may be accompanied by symptoms such as:

DiarrheaFatigueWeight lossBloating and gasAbdominal painNausea and vomitingConstipation

Less common symptoms of celiac disease

AnemiaOsteoporosisItchy rash with blistersMouth ulcersHeadachesNumbness and tingling in hands, feet, problems with balanceJoint painDecreased spleen function
Photo: iStock

What diseases does celiac disease cause?

In addition to the symptoms we already mentioned, celiac disease or Gluten sensitivity can have other psychological or psychiatric repercussions.

For example, it has been found that gluten intolerance can cause depression, apathy, irritability, anxiety and even in children it can cause attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning problems.

In fact, according to the Journal of Neurology35% of patients with celiac disease report depression, personality changes and even psychosis.

Due to the above, it is very difficult to diagnose celiac disease, as the symptoms can easily be confused with other ailments or even go unnoticed.

Hence the importance of diagnosing this condition correctly in order to modify the diet as recommended and largely avoid all the problems that gluten ingestion triggers.

Photo: iStock

How do I know if I have celiac disease?

In order to determine a case of celiac disease, according to the United States National Institute of Healthan analysis of different factors must be done such as a physical examination, a dental check-up, as well as a blood test to check the general condition of the body.

In some cases, biopsies of the small intestine are also used to confirm or rule out a case of celiac disease.

Now that you know that gluten intolerance increases psychological and psychiatric disordersdon’t forget to eat a healthy diet to avoid the symptoms we already mentioned.

If you want to know more about the effects of gluten, we share this video.