Good question! There are proteins in gluten (gliadins) that can have a toxic effect on brain health, while also contributing to intestinal hyperpermeability (“leaky gut”), autoimmunity, and many digestive issues. While some people cannot eat gluten because of celiac disease, it has now been recognized that many people have non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), which much more commonly shows up with neurological symptoms, including depression, migraine headaches, anxiety, brain fog, and inattention. This makes sense when we consider how many neurotransmitters are created in the gut, and the bi-directional communication of the gut-brain axis. 

Even if you don’t have celiac disease, or NCGS, the forms of gluten that most people consume are in heavily processed, non-organic, ‘filler’ foods, which are highly toxic to the body on multiple levels besides the fact that they containing gluten. So with our patients, we encourage going gluten-free (not substituting for “junk” gluten-free foods, however), for at least a few weeks to see if there is a noticeable improvement in brain health.

Best!

Zoe

Thank you