Dear Readers,
I’ve been asked information on Gluten related diseases and it’s link to Eating Disorder. I plead ignorance on this area. At the ED unit, we were not allowed to be Gluten Free. It doesn’t matter what argument one put forward no one was willing to listen, but like diabetes, Gluten issue is also a very serious issue. Gluten Intolerance affects both physical and mental health of a person. According to Chris Kresser, Gluten intolerance can affect nearly every tissue in the body. Last year to gain some knowledge in this area, I signed up for One Day workshop on Food Related Disorders and Auto-immunity with ION . Sadly, the course was cancelled, but Dr O Bryn very generously sent us a link to World Gluten Summit with interviews of 29 of the world’s leaders in the field of research and clinical practice regarding Gluten-Related Disorders.
We also had an access to some useful articles on Gluten. I’ve uploaded Gluten Information below. So please do make use of it. It’s a life changing information and it can greatly assist you in guiding yourself and your loved ones to better health.
US Perspective on Gluten Related Diseases Leonard 2014
The Conundrum of Gluten Summitt
Differentiating Gluten Related Disorders
I found this Great Article on Eating Disorders and Gluten from Living Gluten Free.com. I hope it will answer some of your Questions.
Eating Disorders and Gluten Intolerance:
Is There a Connection?
by Becky Rider
The National Eating Disorders Association reports that dysfunctional food-related behaviors arise from a complex combination of factors, including social, interpersonal, psychological, and physiological influences. It is very possible that celiac disease or non-celiac gluten intolerance could be correlated with this kind of dysfunctional behavior, but a definitive cause-and-effect has not been established. Attempting to isolate one cause for a condition with so many contributing factors would result in a simplistic and short-sighted result.
This expression of dysfuctional behavior has everything to do with psychological makeup and ingrained attitudes. In these sufferers, the brain interprets the actual body shape of the sufferer as something it’s not. In anorexia, for example, the anorexic brain interprets the sufferer’s body to be overweight, regardless of its actual size and weight.
[Occasionally, type I diabetics suffer from body image misinterpretation as well. One diabetic I have known believes she is much thinner and younger than she actually is, and dresses and behaves accordingly. This is exactly the same type of body image misinterpretation as the anorexic variety, except in the way in which the brain interprets the visual signals it receives.]
Why does the brain misinterpret visual signals regarding body image? I’m not sure this question has ever been fully answered, but to address it briefly, the mind bases its interpretations of its sensory stimuli on the complex of personal history, social and interpersonal relationships, genetics, and especially on the brain’s protective function of blocking certain unpleasant situations from conscious awareness.
Does Gluten Affect Eating Disorders?
Eating disorders are extremely complex and individualized dysfunctional behaviors. What is true for one may have no relation to what is true for another. One has anorexia because she was abused as a child, another has bulimia because she was teased about her weight.
So what does any of this have to do with gluten intolerance? Maybe nothing. That’s just the thing . . . .
Gluten, in individuals who are intolerant, can cause psychological dysfunction that can dovetail with the psychological issues associated with eating disorders. If the necessary social, psychological, physiological and genetic factors are present, and the individual is gluten intolerant, gluten can cause symptomatic behaviors such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, orthorexia, binging/purging, and other behaviors.
In the celiac or gluten intolerant person, gluten can cause depression, irritability, suicidal behavior, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, ADD/ADHD, memory loss & confusion, dizziness, loss of balance, vertigo, brain fog & disorganized thinking, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease. Others conditions are thought to be correlated, but there is not sufficient evidence to assert a definite correlation.
Some of these issues could definitely exacerbate the psychological issues underlying dysfunctional food-related behaviors. Will getting off gluten fix the behavior? Probably not. The other contributing factors likely preclude such an easy cure.
The good news is that getting the celiac or gluten intolerant person off gluten will allow the body to heal, the hormones to correct themselves, and the brain to adjust its neuro-chemical balance. If gluten intolerance is a contributing factor, you can expect to see improvement in physiological and psychological function. If gluten intolerance is not a factor, removing gluten from the diet should have no measurable effect.
Remember, though, neuro-chemical levels cannot be corrected quickly. Hormones and other bodily chemicals can readjust to more average levels, but the hormone balancing process can take six to twelve months, and sometimes more. And of course, all the underlying factors driving the eating disorder, other than the gluten intolerance, are still causing disordered eating behaviors.
If you or someone you love suffers from an eating disorder, you need to seek professional help. In addition, the sufferer should be tested for celiac disease as well as other autoimmune diseases, along with food allergies. and non-celiac gluten intolerance, if applicable. The dietary issues can be corrected easily, freeing you to focus on the complex factors driving the eating disorder.
Make sure to visit these helpful websites for more information.
The National Eating Disorders Association
The Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network
