Gluten Intolerance and Schizophrenia
April 22, 2009 Written by JP
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A fascinating case report was presented in the February 2009 issue of the journal Nutrition and Metabolism. It documents the transformation of a 70 year old woman who had suffered from schizophrenia since the age of 7. The most remarkable aspect of her return to wellness is that it was prompted by a simple shift in her diet. What’s even more important to note is that this miraculous healing is not an isolated event.
The woman who is featured in the case report presented a variety of common schizophrenic symptoms, such as attempted suicide and bodily harm, auditory and visual hallucinations, confused speech. fatigue, obesity and “poor attention to hygiene”. She was on numerous medications to help address the illness and other unrelated health conditions. But even while taking an extensive list of medications, her condition worsened.
Because of her weight, poor general health and her lack of response to the medication, this lady (known only as “C.D.”) was placed on a gluten-free, low carbohydrate diet. Gluten is a potentially allergenic protein found in wheat and other popular grains. C.D.’s daily diet was comprised of 4 oz of “hard” cheese, eggs, meat, 2 cups of salad and 1 cup of non-starchy vegetables. Her total carbohydrate count was kept under 20 grams per day, often referred to as a “ketogenic diet”.
After just 7 days, C.D. reported feeling “well” and more energetic. By day 8 she was completely free of the auditory and visual hallucinations. She also commented that she felt much calmer at her next evaluation on day 26. Over the course of the next 12 months, C.D. maintained mental stability and also lost some weight.
It’s unclear whether the changes found in C.D. are the result of carbohydrate or gluten restriction. One other study from 1965 found a possible connection between ketogenic (very low carb) diets and schizophrenic improvement. But even if we consider that research and this current case study, we’d have to admit that this is highly preliminary information. It’s regrettable that there isn’t more for us to go on at this time.
The uncertainty about the role of gluten in schizophrenia is more abundant and scattered throughout the medical literature of the past several decades. Several studies suggest that a gluten-elimination diet may be worth considering as a safe and natural therapy for some schizophrenics.
- In 1986, twenty four patients in a maximum security psychiatric hospital were placed on a gluten-free diet for 14 weeks. Most of these patients were diagnosed with schizophrenia. A test called the Psychotic In-Patient profile (PIP) was given prior to the induction of the diet and throughout the study. There were positive changes noted in all of the patients during the dietary intervention. Two of the participants had a “relapse” when gluten was introduced back into their diet.
- From a cultural and historical perspective, it’s important to note that societies that consume little or no glutinous grains have a very low incidence of schizophrenia. Papua New Guinea, Malaita (Solomon Islands) and Yap (Micronesia) documented only 2 cases of chronic schizophrenia out of a population of 65,000 in recent history. In countries that eat a “western diet” (which includes beer, bread and rice), the expected number of schizophrenics in that same population would be about 130. Follow up data also suggests that when grains are introduced into these remote societies, the rate of schizophrenia adjusts to levels consistent with that of western countries.
- Data that spans all the way back to the World War II also alludes to a possible connection between gluten and schizophrenia. One such study, published in a 1966 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition is entitled, “Wheat Consumption and Hospital Admissions for Schizophrenia During World War II. A Preliminary Report.” Another study from that same era also supports the link between diet and improved mental stability. The paper, “Relapsed Schizophrenics: More Rapid Improvement on a Milk and Cereal-Free Diet” was presented in the May 1969 issue of the British Journal of Psychiatry.
- A 2006 scientific review at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that, “a drastic reduction, if not full remission, of schizophrenic symptoms after initiation of gluten withdrawal has been noted in a variety of studies. However, this occurs only in a subset of schizophrenic patients.” The reasons why gluten may benefit some schizophrenics and not others may be genetic in nature (1,2). This may also explain the reason why some trials fail to find a statistical connection between diet and schizophrenia.
Schizophrenia is generally considered a chronic condition. In some instances, such as in the case of C.D., it’s virtually a life long affliction. The prescription medications used to treat it are sometimes necessary but, unfortunately, often not ideal because of reported side effects and variable symptom management. Dietary interventions may offer a very real alternative for some individuals struggling with such mental disorders. I believe it’s something worth investigating with the assistance of knowledgeable and open-minded medical professionals.
Updated Information from 05/24/09: Celiac Disease and Intestinal Bacteria
Be well!
JP
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Posted in Mental Health
April 23rd, 2009 at 10:35 am
More than 20 years ago (can’t pin it down precisely), my partner at the time was a schizophrenic. Because I’m the type of person who always tries to solve problems, I did a lot of research on the subject, and tried him on what we thought was a gluten free diet. We didn’t know a lot about it, and the literature was vague and unhelpful on exactly how to do this, so what we basically ended up doing was to cut out bread, pasta and so on, but we still used many processed foods, which I now realize meant he was not on a strict gluten free diet.
Having said that, I can report that he had a huge reduction in symptoms, in particular the “voices” and hallucinations were much reduced, and he was much happier and behaved less erratically - he even told jokes and got the timing right, which he wouldn’t have attempted before.
April 23rd, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Wow! Thanks for sharing that, Fran! It’s much appreciated. Very interesting indeed.
I remember reading, many years ago, about the work of Dr. Abram Hoffer. Perhaps you know of him? If not, he’s a Canadian orthomolecular physician who pioneered the use of diet and high-dosage nutrients in the treatment of schizophrenia and other mental disorders (and beyond).
I recall that he would sometimes utilize short water-only fasts on treatment resistant patients. Sometimes that would apparently work - presumably by eliminating exposure to allergenic or sensitizing chemicals and foods.
Be well!
JP
March 9th, 2010 at 6:08 am
In 2000, when I was 28, my parents called the CAT team (Crisis Action Team) as I was presenting with some signs common to schizophrenia (auditory and visual hallucinations, dillusions etc.). The team spent 15 minutes with me and asked me a few questions. They then decided that, indeed, I was suffering from schizophrenoform psychosis and administered me with a high dose of the anti-psychotic drug, Olanzapine.
The side effects of the drug were awful. Not only was I rapidly putting on weight, my brain felt shut down and I was rendered completely lethargic. I considered suicide.
After 2 months, I pleaded with my psychiatrist to allow me to stop taking Olanzapine. My father worked in forensic psychiatry for 25 years - and it was only because of this that the psychiatrist agreed to a slow reduction in the dosage and, under the observation of my father, if this was successful, I could stop.
4 months had passed and I finally stopped taking the drug. My life felt shattered. The stigma of having suffered from this illness hung over me. It took a long time to get the drug out of my body and to lose the weight. I was petrified that I would have a “relapse” as I was told that my prognosis was not good…
A year later, I felt the warning signs of a relapse. I had never accepted that I was “schizophrenic”, and under no circumstances did I wish to be medicated in the same way. I tried several alternative methods of healing, such as yoga, kinesiology etc. This seemed to alleviate some of the symptoms.
In 2005, I suddenly felt like I was losing my mind once again. I tried alternative healing again, but to no avail. After holding the symptoms at bay for 2 months, I finally went to a doctor. His advice to me was short and simple. He said, “You might be suffering from a gluten allergy. I’ll do a blood test and in the meanwhile, exclude all gluten from your diet.”
I did exactly as he asked and cut out everything that contained gluten. After just 3 days, my mind felt clear again and I no longer felt like I was going to tip over the edge mentally. I went back a week later to pick up the results of the blood test and it showed that I had alot of antigens in my blood, reacting to gluten. The doctor said that my brain had been producing a sort of “morphine” in my brain, in reaction to gluten, and that is what I had been suffering from.
I haven’t eaten any gluten since then, and have never had any sensations/thoughts/feelings associated with schizophrenia again.
My diet was undeniably the cause of schizophrenic symptoms and the removal of gluten not just reduced the symptoms, but completely stopped them.
As I consider my taste for different foods, I’ve realised that ever since I was a child, I have intuitively disliked gluten-based foods, never knowing what gluten was until seeing the doctor in 2005. Interestingly, as I look back on the 3 times when I showed signs of schizophrenia, I was living with my parents or living with my brother, whose diets contain alot of gluten. Naturally, during those times, we were sharing meals and using a kitchen that was not gluten-free.
This doctor saved my life and without his insight into the link between schizophrenia, I may have been wrongly medicated for this illness for the rest of my life.
Thanks for putting your article up on the web, it’s unbelievable that this stuff isn’t more widely recognised and acknowledged.
Krista
March 10th, 2010 at 12:06 am
What an incredible story, Krista! Thank you so much for sharing it with us! Truly fantastic!
Be well!
JP
July 18th, 2010 at 6:20 pm
incredible. how myopic are doctors anyway?
22 years ago i was diagnosed schizophrenic. just yesterday i am diabetic. today i’ve been researching gluten. why? cause i went off carbs all together and was looking for alternative ‘flour’. then i realized that things i had been suffering for many years are gone!
i could’nt live without immodium, had constant aches and pains, especially when i woke i could’nt move at first. i’m only 44! my sinuses were always flowing like a tap. gluten causes all sorts of things, maybe even diabetes itself cause it messes with homones responsible for insulin release and absorbtion of minerals. i was vitamin deficient. i’m eating nothing but eggs, meat and vegitables and probably never felt better in my life!
diabetes was a wake-up call, but maybe a blessing in disguise.
i will now be very diligent because i have to be, it may save my life. 1 in 7 people are gluten intolerant. 1 in 250 are full blown celiac, but 1 in 20 diabetics are! celiacs are not all skinny. 39% of celiacs are now overweight! a friend was treated for depression and found it was gluten, now he just had a knee operation and found he was rhuematoid. he previously had terrible digestive problems as did i.
I DONT KNOW WHY GLUTEN IS NOT BEING ADDRESSED AS THE BIGGEST PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM OF ALL TIME!!!!