Does Gluten Cause Depression?

A study published in the journal Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics titled, "Randomised clinical trial: gluten may cause depression in subjects with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity - an exploratory clinical study," revealed that gluten consumption significantly increases the risk of depression.

The doubled-blind cross over study consisted of twenty-two subjects (24-62 years, five male) with irritable bowel syndrome who tested negative for celiac disease and whose condition was symptomatically controlled on a gluten free diet.

The participants randomly received one of three dietary challenges for 3 days, followed by a minimum 3-day washout before crossing over to the next diet. Their gluten free diet was challenged with either gluten (16 g/day), whey (16 g/day) or not supplemented at all (placebo).

The study concluded:

"Short-term exposure to gluten specifically induced current feelings of depression with no effect on other indices or on emotional disposition. Gluten-specific induction of gastrointestinal symptoms was not identified. Such findings might explain why patients with non-coeliac gluten sensitivity feel better on a gluten-free diet despite the continuation of gastrointestinal symptoms."

In another 2012 study published in the journal of Psychosomatic Research titled, "Reduced quality of life in coeliac disease is more strongly associated with depression than gastrointestinal symptoms," found that even in classical celiac disease patients, it was not the bloating, diarrhea and multitudinous gastrointestinal problems which caused the most suffering, rather, it was their declining quality of life – particularly depression– that they identified to be causing most of their suffering.

Sue Taylor

Ottawa Allergist

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