Most of us know that indulging in a diet of processed foods, unhealthy fats and sugar is a recipe for a low mood.
But what many
people don't know is that whole grains - touted as the "staff of life" - can also cause mood and behavior problems.
And the reason? Brain allergies — often caused by gluten.
When we think of food allergies, we usually picture
hives, rashes, or digestive distress.
But certain foods can affect the brain just as profoundly — leading to emotional, psychological, and neurological symptoms.
In fact, "brain allergies" have been linked to a wide range of conditions,
including:
Insomnia and disrupted sleep
Panic attacks
Anxiety and depression
Aggression and irritability
ADD/ADHD
Schizophrenia and psychotic episodes
Dr. Abram Hoffer, M.D., believes that depression and allergies are inextricably linked:
"When one is relieved, so is the other. Treatment of the allergy will, in most cases,
'cure' the depression. I have seen this in several hundred patients over the past six years and can no longer doubt this conclusion".
And research supports his conclusion:
Bipolar Disorder:
A recent study published in Bipolar Disorders found that all patients with bipolar disorder had significantly elevated antibodies to gluten compared to the control group.
Depression:
A study
published in the Journal of Biological Psychiatry evaluated 30 patients suffering from psychological and concentration problems.
The results found that allergies alone were able to produce the symptoms such as severe depression, nervousness, feeling of anger without a particular object, loss of motivation and severe mental blankness.
Schizophrenia:
Research papers published in the Lancet in the 1960's call schizophrenia "bread madness".
Dr. William Philpott found that
92% of the schizophrenia patients he tested had negative reactions to certain foods. Of those patients, an astounding 64% reacted to wheat.
The symptoms ranged from dizziness, blurred vision, anxiety, depression, tension, hyperactivity and speech difficulties to psychotic episodes.
ADHD:
Research published in the Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition found a strong correlation between gluten sensitivity (evidenced by anti-gliadin antibodies) and ADHD.
The results:
"15% of "healthy" people and 80% of kids they studied with ADHD had anti-gliadin antibodies." That's more than three-quarters of the so-called "ADHD" children testing positive for a gluten sensitivity!
The good news is that these "brain allergies" subside - along with their health, behavioral and mood effects - when we eliminate the offending allergen from our diet.
But often, eliminating these foods is easier said than done...
The Allergy-Addiction Cycle: Is Bread a Drug?
It's no coincidence that foods like bread, pizza, casseroles and
cookies are considered "comfort foods".
In fact, these foods have a lot more in common with mind-numbing drugs like heroin than you might think.
When wheat and other grains containing gluten are broken down, they are fragmented into odd little proteins called
gluteomorphins.
As the name implies, these compounds are chemically similar to opium - the substance from which morphine and heroine are derived.
And just like their narcotic counterparts, gluten grains affect the morphine receptors in the
brain.
This changes their function and behavior... while also creating intense cravings that can rival drug addiction.
Do You Have a Brain Allergy?
It's important to note
that gluten isn't the only "brain allergen". There are eight foods account for 90% of all food reactions. These foods are:
Milk
Eggs
Peanuts
Tree nuts
Fish
Shellfish
Wheat, and
Soy
Some people don't have a problem with any food allergens. But many of us have issues with these foods and don't even know it. If you or a loved one are experiencing mental, emotional or behavioral problems, it's possible that food allergies or intolerances could be the culprit. You can discover which foods might be causing your problems with a simple blood test like those offered by ALCAT or ALATESS. The good news is that no matter what food allergies or sensitivities
you may have, you can break the cycle and start feeling better with simple dietary changes.
But in today’s world, food isn’t the only factor affecting your brain.
There's a hidden glitch affecting your brain.
It's called neuroinflammation - and it silently damages memory, focus, and creativity…not to mention it's the main culprit of brain fog.
It's caused by things like pollution, stress, processed foods and digital devices - so it's almost impossible to fully avoid.
Yet, this 5 sec coffee-hack naturally reduces neuroinflammation and boosts:
King DS. Can allergic exposure provoke psychological symptoms? A double-blind test. Biol Psychiatry 1981;16:3-19.
W. Philpott and D. Kalita, Brain Allergies, Keats Publishing
(1980)
Brown M, Gibney M, Husband PR, Radcliffe M. Food allergy in polysymptomatic patients. Practitioner 1981;225:1651-4.
Bellanti JA, Sabra A, Castro HJ, Chavez JR, Malka-Rais J, de Inocencio JM. Are attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome allergy related? Allergy Asthma Proc. 2005
Jan-Feb;26(1):19-28.
Dickerson F, Stallings C, Origoni A, et al. Markers of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease in bipolar disorder. Bipolar Disorders Volume 13, Issue 1, pages 52-58, February 2011
O'Brien SM, Scott LV, Dinan TG. Cytokines: abnormalities in major depression and implications for pharmacological treatment. Hum
Psychopharmacol. 2004 Aug;19(6):397-403.
Castanon N, Leonard BE, Neveu PJ, Yirmiya R. Effects of antidepressants on cytokine production and actions. Brain Behav Immun. 2002 Oct;16(5):569-74.
Anisman, H, Z. Merali. 2003. Cytokines, stress and depressive illness: Brain immune interactions. Ann Med. 35:2-11
Banks, WA. SA Farr, JE Morely. 2002-2003. Entry of blood-borne cytokines into the central nervous system: Effects on cognitive processes. Neuroimmunomodulation 10:319-27
Sadayuki Hashioka, Patrick L. McGeer, Akira Monji, and Shigenobu Kanba. Anti-Inflammatory Effects of Antidepressants: Possibilities for Preventives Against Alzheimer's Disease. Central
Nervous System Agents in Medicinal Chemistry, 2009, 9, 12-19
Dickerson F, Stallings C, Origoni A, Vaughan C, Khushalani S, Alaedini A, Yolken R.Markers of gluten sensitivity and celiac disease in bipolar disorder.Bipolar Disord. 2011 Feb;13(1):52-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-5618.2011.00894.x.
Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition.
Vol. 49, Suppl 1, 2009 E12. 27 Schizophrenic Patients Present w/ Increased Prevalence of Gluten Sensitivity & CD". Biological Psychiatry. 2010 May 13.
"Markers of Gluten Sensitivity & CD in Recent-Onset Psychosis & Multi-Episode Schizophrenia. European Psychiatry Volume 19, Issue 5, August 2004, Pages 311-314
"Bread
madness" revisited: screening for specific celiac antibodies among schizophrenia patients
Ludvigsson JF, Montgomery SM, Ekbom A, Brandt L, Granath F. Small-intestinal histopathology and mortality risk in celiac disease. JAMA. 2009 Sep 16;302(11):1171-8.
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