People with a history of the genetic digestive disorder celiac disease are three times more likely to develop schizophrenia than the general population, according to a study. People with celiac disease cannot digest the protein gluten, found in grains and other foods, and are prone to damage to the small intestine as a result of eating gluten-containing foods, which can lead to diarrhea, weight loss and malnutrition.
Researchers examined the records of 7,997 patients with schizophrenia who had been admitted to a Danish psychiatric facility between 1981 and 1998. They found that the prevalence of celiac disease among schizophrenics was 1.5 cases per 1,000, while the control group has a prevalence of 0.5 cases per 1,000.
Both schizophrenia and celiac disease are rare conditions, and researchers determined that people with a history of celiac disease had 3.2 times the risk of developing schizophrenia compared to the control group.
There was no association found between other digestive disorders such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis and schizophrenia.
Researchers say the next step is to determine whether a gluten-free diet would improve symptoms among people with schizophrenia. They estimate that 3 percent of patients could potentially benefit from restricting gluten in their diets.
British Medical Journal February 21, 2004;328:438-439 (Free Full-Text Article)
For the longest time it was believed that celiac disease was a very rare condition only present in one in 5,000 people. However, even as long as three years ago I have posted studies that show that one in 33 people have celiac disease.
Gluten affects far more than the intestines, and this study found an interesting connection to schizophrenia. If you or someone you know has this illness, a gluten-free diet is an inexpensive way to try to improve symptoms.
Most people don’t realize that there are many reactions to gluten, or wheat, aside from celiac disease, that can cause health problems. Most of us are addicted to breads, bagels, pizza, pasta, waffles and pancakes and would rather die than give them up, and many people do just that, die from the side effects of eating wheat.
Wheat, especially whole wheat, is not bad for everyone, just most people in this country. It is quite clear that if you are overweight you would best be served by avoiding wheat, even organic whole wheat products as they will contribute to elevated insulin levels that will disrupt your biochemistry and impair your ability to lose weight.
A recent book, Dangerous Grains, reviews this topic quite comprehensively, and, as many of you know, one of the key components of my nutrition plan is vastly reducing or eliminating the grains in your diet, as this will lead to optimum health. You can read more about this in my Total Health Program.
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