3 ways gluten damages the brain and nervous system

Many people think they don’t need to go gluten-free because eating wheat doesn’t give them gut problems. However, the area of the body most often damaged by gluten isn’t the gut but the brain and nervous system. If you struggle with anxiety, depression, brain fog, memory loss, fatigue, or other brain-based disorders, it’s worth ruling out whether a gluten sensitivity is attacking your brain and causing symptoms.

Studies have linked gluten sensitivity with numerous brain-based and psychiatric disorders, including movement disorders (such as tics and dystonias), neuromyelitis, multiple sclerosis, vertigo (dizziness), neuropathy, neuromuscular disease, migraines, hearing loss, dementia, restless leg syndrome, schizophrenia, and other disorders in almost every part of the nervous system studied.

Three ways gluten sensitivity can damage the brain and nervous system

Gluten sensitivity can damage the brain and nervous system in at least three ways.

Cross-reactivity. Perhaps the most destructive is through cross-reactivity. This happens when the immune system mistakes nerve cells for gluten because both have similar structures. This means if you are gluten intolerant, every time you eat it the immune system attacks both gluten and brain tissue, depending on the site of the attack. This develops into an autoimmune condition.

Transglutaminase 6 reactivity. In another scenario, gluten triggers an immune response to transglutaminase, an enzyme that both binds proteins in the body but also helps digest wheat. Transglutaminase-6 (TG6) is found throughout the central nervous system. Sometimes a gluten sensitivity involves reacting to transglutaminase in the digestive tract. This can trigger an attack against TG6 in the brain and nervous system. Transglutaminase is also used as a glue in processed meats (such as chicken nuggets), and people who react to transglutaminase may also react to this form of it.

Leaky blood-brain barrier. The third way gluten can damage the brain is by breaking down the protective layer around the brain called the blood-brain barrier. The blood-brain barrier acts as a gatekeeper allowing necessary compounds in and out of the brain while keeping out harmful things. The inflammation from a gluten sensitivity can break down this barrier so that harmful substances can enter the environment of the brain and trigger inflammation and damage to brain tissue. This is called a leaky blood-brain barrier.

How to stop gluten from damaging your brain

One of the best ways to know whether gluten is causing attacks against your brain is to go strictly gluten-free for at least six months. Due to the months-long inflammatory nature of gluten, it does not work if you eat a little bit of gluten now and then. You must be very strict.

You can also test for gluten sensitivity, but keep in mind standard doctors’ tests only test for one portion of gluten — alpha gliadin. Research shows people react to at least 12 different portions of gluten. In order to thoroughly screen for a gluten sensitivity, you must order your test through Cyrex Labs.

Lastly, some people who react to gluten also react to other foods just as badly. The most common secondary food is dairy. Sometimes it’s an issue of the immune system mistaking certain foods for gluten (dairy and other grains are common culprits). Sometimes it’s a sensitivity of its own. If you tested positive for gluten sensitivity or don’t feel better on a gluten-free diet, you may want to consider the more thorough approach of the autoimmune diet.

If you are experiencing depression, anxiety, fatigue, brain fog, memory loss, or other brain-based symptoms, ask my office how we can help you.

Autism often linked to early brain autoimmunity

Autism spectrum disorder rates have increased by about 80 percent in the last 15 years, and an estimated one in 45 children have autism. While both parents scramble and scientists search for answers, one factor increasingly shows up in research: An immune system gone awry attacking the brain — also called autoimmunity.

Research has shown that some children with autism develop autoimmunity to the brain due to antibodies passed to them from their mothers while in utero. One study found one in 10 mothers of children with autism carry antibodies in their blood that reacts to their children’s brains.

Maternal autoimmunity raises autism risk

A mother who already has ongoing autoimmunity (which often may not have been diagnosed) is at a higher risk for having a child with autism.

Studies show children born to moms with autoimmune diseases such as celiac disease, type 1 diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis, are three times more likely to develop autism.

This is because the mother carries antibodies in her bloodstream that are programmed to target human tissue for attack, including brain tissue. These antibodies then get passed to her fetus.

Obesity and diabetes in moms also raises risk

The factors that predispose a person to triggering autoimmunity are another risk mothers can pass onto their kids, the most common being disorders stemming from high blood sugar: obesity, diabetes, and PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome). This is because excess sugar is highly inflammatory and raises the risk of autoimmunity.

For instance, maternal obesity almost doubles the risk of a child developing autism, while obesity combined with diabetes quadruples the risk. Maternal PCOS  a hormonal disorder caused by high blood sugar, has also been linked with an increased risk of autism in children due to excess testosterone.

Leaky gut and fetal immune health

Another maternal risk factor that can affect fetal brain health is leaky gut, also known as intestinal permeability. This is a common condition in which the inflamed and damaged gut wall allows undigested foods, bacteria, and other pathogens to escape from the intestines into the bloodstream. These circulating pathogens affect the fetus by stimulating an immune response that may affect the development of the fetal brain.

Many things can cause leaky gut, but the most common is excess sugars and starches, processed foods, and junk foods. Other factors are chronic stress, excess alcohol, antibiotics, NSAIDS, and metabolic imbalances.

Because the gut is the seat of the immune system, a leaky gut triggers a cascade of inflammation that extends beyond the gut and into the brain and body. This raises the risk of brain antibodies developing in the mother and being passed to the fetus.

Immune health affects the developing brain

While some children withstand the assaults of modern life relatively unscathed, the child with autism or whose brain and immune system are predisposed to autism will react to foods, vaccines, viruses, chemicals, or other immune triggers. This imbalance can begin in the womb.

An anti-inflammatory diet is foundational to a healthy immune system and pregnancy. Studies have shown the effectiveness of a gluten-free and dairy-free diet or, more ideally, the immune balancing autoimmune diet.

It’s important to approach conception and pregnancy with immune health in mind. This will not only reduce the risk of autism but also reduce susceptibility to other immune disorders, including asthma, eczema, food intolerances, allergies, and other brain developmental disorders (e.g., Tourette syndrome, obsessive-compulsive disorder, depression, ADD/ADHD, etc.)

Always tilting your head could signal brain problem

Do you find you can stay more focused and understand information better if you tilt your head to one side? Or perhaps you think you’re holding your head straight until a photographer asks you to straighten it.

A persistent head tilt can be a sign of a brain imbalances that needs addressing, even if you don’t have other symptoms. These brain imbalances may manifest as more serious problems down the road. By addressing what is causing your head tilt early, you can improve brain performance and prevent future problems.

What a head tilt says about your brain

Your brain, eyes, inner ear (vestibular) system, and body all work together to tell you where you are in relation to your environment.

Your eyes tell your brain where you are in the environment. Your vestibular system coordinates this information with any movements happening Information from the joints, nerves, and muscles provide feedback about what your body is doing.

Constantly tilting your head to one sign means there is a deviation within these pathways causing your brain to think your head is straight when it’s not. Or you may feel your brain simply works better if you keep your head constantly tilted to one side.

Common causes of head tilt

Perhaps this happened due to a head injury or whiplash earlier in life, two things notorious for causing lasting damage to the vestibular system and brain.

Or dysfunction can arise from brain developmental issues that started in childhood, such as the left hemisphere developing too quickly compared to the right — a common problem these days.

Factors that cause brain inflammation can also affect function of the brain and vestibular system. Sources of brain inflammation include infection, undiagnosed food intolerances (most common are gluten and dairy), leaky gut, and blood sugar and hormonal imbalances.

More severe causes of head tilt

Head tilts can also be caused by structural problems in the neck and spine.

They can also be related to more advanced conditions such as dystonia, a disorder that causes muscles to contract involuntarily.

Other symptom of dystonia may include dragging one leg, foot cramping, uncontrollable blinking, and difficulty talking.

Dystonias arise from problems in an area of the brain called the basal ganglia that helps regulate muscle contractions and movement. Basal ganglia disorders are not uncommon and include other conditions such as restless leg syndrome, tics, anxiety, tremors, cramping, muscle rigidity, and more.

Head tilt and imbalances in visual processing

A chronic head tilt can also arise due to how the eyes process visual information. If vision from one eye is being interpreted as coming in lower or higher than the other eye, the brain will compensate by tilting the head to make vision appear more equal.

How well your eyes can pursue a target moving both smoothly or in small jumps in various directions informs the functional neurologist as to how your brain is working. For instance, a poorly functioning cerebellum, the area of the brain that plays a role in balance and motor coordination, causes poor function with visual tracking that can lead to a head tilt.

Also, if certain eye muscles are weak, exercises to strengthen those can help correct head tilt. 

This is very general overview of a complex topic, but the bottom line is if you have a head tilt a functional neurology approach can help improve your brain function.

Why you should see a functional neurologist after a brain injury

If you sustain a brain injury, even a mild one, it’s important to be evaluated by a functional neurologist to prevent long term damage and symptoms. Functional neurology uses diagnostic testing that is more sensitive and thorough than normal and that customize rehabilitation based on specific areas of damage to prevent problems in the future.

Brain injury or concussion symptoms typically include fatigue, brain fog, and changes in mood and behavior. Physical symptoms include dizziness, problems with motor control or balance, or digestive issues.

When these symptoms persist, people tend to stay indoors more and avoid social environments or areas where light and sound overstimulate them. Although this becomes the new normal for many people who have had a concussion, it is not normal as a long term strategy.

Even if you don’t have symptoms after a head injury, a functional neurology exam can prevent future problems by identifying areas that may be damaged unbeknownst to you.

The functional neurology exam after a brain injury

A post-concussion functional neurology exam evaluates the brain in relation to possible nerve damage in other areas of the body, problems in the joints or spine, and damage to the inner ear, also called the vestibular system.

The vestibular system coordinates with the eyes and higher centers of the brain to help control where the body is in space. This system is commonly damaged with brain injuries, causing dizziness, nausea, disorientation, or the sense of being on a rocky boat.

Functional neurology uses brain evaluation tests that aren’t typically used in the standard health care model. For instance, videonystagmography uses infrared eye goggles to trace eye movements during visual stimulation or movement to test the inner ear and diagnose vertigo or balance problems.

Although that’s a common tool, it’s only one of many possible options. Functional neurology combines a variety of exam tools to create a broad, objective picture of brain function and health. We then repeat those tests to measure progress and modify treatment during the rehabilitation process.

How functional neurology differs from conventional neurology with brain injuries

When a person sustains a brain injury that warrants a trip to the emergency room, a CAT scan may be ordered to screen for fracture, hemorrhage, or swelling that needs to be surgically addressed. A follow up MRI can identify bleeds or tissue injuries.

However, the majority of brain injuries are too mild for damage to show up on CAT scans or MRIs. More sensitive imaging is available but typically not used as it doesn’t change the course of treatment in the standard model (unless it’s in a situation involving a third party, such as a car accident).

However, with more sensitive functional neurology testing we can find out if these problems come from a balance issue or a visual issue and develop treatment strategies that address problem areas one by one based on your unique situation.

For instance, if turning your head to the right makes you dizzy, functional neurology uses exercises to address the areas of the vestibular system and brain causing that before moving on to more conventional physical rehabilitation — an area where the standard health care approach typically begins.

Diet and lifestyle approaches to healing a brain injury

It’s also important to address your brain injury metabolically. This means following an anti-inflammatory diet  stabilizing blood sugar, healing gut problems, addressing chronic infections, balancing hormones, and dealing with other lingering health issues that will slow or prevent brain recovery.

Likewise, it's key to minimize brain inflammation by removing aspartame and glutamate from your diet and adding magnesium. 

Ask my office for more information about how functional neurology can help you recover from a brain injury.