Alessio Fasano at Harvard indicates that perhaps all humans have some negative reaction to gluten. Gluten induces this cornerstone of brain degeneration: inflammation. It causes leakiness of the blood-brain barrier.”

Recent studies seem to show that gluten, most commonly found in wheat, rye and barley, may have a profound affect the brain and nervous system in many people. Researchers have found that eating gluten can potentially increase the risk of memory loss, dementia symptoms and Alzheimer’s.

While most people are able to tolerate gluten, it can trigger a number of adverse side effects in those with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. In addition to causing digestive distress, headaches, and skin problems, some report that gluten may contribute to psychological symptoms like anxiety ( 1 ).

The best-characterized neurologic complication related to gluten sensitivity is ataxia, now termed “gluten ataxia”. Gluten ataxia is characterized by positive anti-gliadin antibodies, changes in the cerebellum, and ataxic symptoms including upper or lower limb ataxia, gait ataxia, and dysarthria [11].

A Word from Verywell Most newly diagnosed celiacs will experience relief from their brain fog symptoms pretty quickly, and they then find that their fuzzy head stays away unless they accidentally ingest gluten. If you accidentally get into some gluten, you may feel fuzzy-headed for a day or two.

Gluten has been implicated in a number of symptoms related to celiac disease that go beyond the digestive system, including rashes, anemia and headaches. But according to a recent case report, the wheat protein played a role in one woman’s severe psychosis.

The Mayo Clinic conducted research to measure the precise total transit time – from eating to elimination in stool – and found that it took an average of 53 hours for the food to fully clear your body.

It’s not uncommon for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity to report depression as one of their symptoms. Many studies have documented a link between symptoms of depression and celiac disease — even in people who have been following the gluten-free diet for a long time.

Anxiety is a pretty common symptom both in celiac disease and in non-celiac gluten sensitivity—plenty of newly diagnosed people (and more than a few who’ve been diagnosed for some time) report feelings of both anxiety and depression.

Anxiety, depression and fatigue are common issues reported in celiac disease patients prior to diagnosis. Side effects of celiac disease can affect the brain in various ways, lowering quality of life for those suffering from untreated celiac disease or even after diagnosis.

Second, that gluten can affect the amount of serotonin, which serves as a neurotransmitter in the brain most commonly thought of as how the way our brain gives us feelings of happiness, by limiting the availability of its precursor, an amino acid called tryptophan.

Anaemia. Similarly, untreated coeliac disease can cause iron deficiency, causing a person to feel weak, look pale, and experience shortness of breath and heart palpitations.

Why else could gluten ingestion cause depression? Well, perhaps the excess gluten (which is relatively low in tryptophan) depleted the study participants’ serotonin, leading to feelings of depression.

Gluten is mostly found in wheat, which means most types of bread, cereal, and crackers contain this common ingredient. Hyperactivity and food with gluten seem to go hand in hand in children with some sensitivity to this food. Irritability and aggressiveness are other bad behaviors that gluten can trigger.

There’s little doubt that people with celiac disease and gluten sensitivity suffer from higher-than-normal rates of anxiety and depression. Gluten and depression have been found to be linked in a variety of studies, including research dealing with celiac disease and research dealing with non-celiac gluten sensitivity.

Some propose that gluten (a protein found in wheat and some other grains) and casein (a protein found in dairy products) can worsen autism symptoms by causing inflammation in the gut that spreads to the brain. The study findings appear online in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.

Intakes of whole fat dairy products, including ice-cream and cream, were associated with increased depression, anxiety, stress, cognitive failures, poorer memory functioning and general health (all p<0.05).