The Healthy Way

Monday, September 14, 2009

Can Food Alter your Brain?

Q: Dear Elena: I read somewhere that Gluten and Casein can cause a person to become insane over time if they are allergic and don't remove this from their diet. Is this true? Can food really affect the mind?

A: I would not go as far as saying it makes you insane but there is plenty of evidence pointing towards food allergies and how reactions can effect the brain

Casein is one of the two proteins found in cow’s milk, the other one being whey.

Gluten consists of the proteins gliadin and gluten, both are found in wheat. Oats, barley and rye do not contain gluten but a protein that is very similar to gluten and so are often excluded in a gluten-free diet.  During the process of digestion, casein and gluten are partially broken down into substances called opioids, which have a chemical structure similar to morphine. It has been proposed that these opioids, called casomorphin, gluteomorphin and gliadinomorphin, could have an effect on the central nervous system.

A hypothesis known as ‘leaky gut’ has suggested that in certain individuals the gut becomes compromised or damaged and therefore fails to prevent these opioids leaking out of the gut and entering the bloodstream. Some supporters of the ‘leaky gut’ theory believe that there is an associated leaky blood-brain-barrier.  Therefore, if these opioids enter the bloodstream they will also be able to penetrate the blood-brain-barrier and potentially exert an effect on the brain.

In Orthomolecular medicine there are frequent references to nutritional imbalances and mental health, food intolerances as well as systemic yeast infections have been said to contribute to problems. Children suffering from ADHD often benefit from gluten and casein free diet, as do those with autism. Gliadorphine (very similar in structure to casomorphin, a casein derived peptide) has been verified by mass spectrometry techniques to be present in urine samples of children with autism.

The peptides from gluten and casein are important because the react with opiate receptors in the brain, thus mimicking the effects of opiate drugs like heroin and morphine. Children with autism frequently seem addicted to wheat and dairy products. Presumably, people with Autism and Schizophrenia incompletely digest wheat and dairy products. These incompletely digested peptides are then absorbed into the body and bind to opiate receptors, altering behavior and causing other physiological reactions.

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Dr. Elena Krasnov is a registered Naturopathic Doctor and Clinic Director of the Toronto Naturopathic Clinic. Submit your questions online here