When you hear about coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity, you probably think of stomach issues like cramps, bloating, and nausea. But what if these conditions also affect your brain? Research suggests gluten can play a role in mental health problems such as anxiety, ADHD, depression, and even schizophrenia.
Three top psychiatrists—Jessica, an award-winning expert in autism with 40 years of experience; Deanna, a professor and internationally known mental health researcher; and Sharon, a clinical psychiatric physician assistant specializing in schizophrenia—have studied this connection closely.
Their research shows gluten, found in wheat, barley, and rye, can impact mental and neurological health. In 2019, they conducted a study where people with schizophrenia and gluten sensitivity improved significantly after just five weeks on a gluten-free diet.
These patients are not exceptions. Many others have experienced relief from symptoms like seizures and depression simply by cutting out gluten. Studies estimate that gluten-related psychiatric symptoms may affect as many as one in 17 people, yet many doctors remain unaware of this link.
One reason is that most research on gluten’s mental health effects appears in gastroenterology and immunology journals, which psychiatrists and neurologists don’t usually follow.
At first, the psychiatrists themselves were skeptical. In the medical world, diet is often seen as secondary to pharmaceutical treatments and not given much attention in medical training. Jessica, for example, did not know about this connection until 2010 when her son was tested for coeliac disease. She decided to get tested too.
Jessica had struggled for years with digestive problems, panic attacks since childhood, migraines, fatigue, brain fog, and a deep fear of getting lost. After just two days on a gluten-free diet, she felt her fears disappear, her mind clear, and her energy return. This was a dramatic change from her previous exhaustion, which left her barely able to walk her dog.
Her experience is backed by growing scientific evidence supporting gluten-free diets as a potential treatment for certain mental health issues.
How does gluten affect the brain? It comes down to coeliac disease and non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. Coeliac disease causes the immune system to attack the body after gluten intake, damaging the gut lining and reducing nutrient absorption, which can impact overall health—including mental well-being.
As awareness grows, more patients and clinicians may begin to see gluten-free diets as a serious option to help treat some common mental health conditions.
