Gluten is public enemy number one for women with celiac disease—an autoimmune condition that wreaks havoc on the small intestines. In addition to gut symptoms like diarrhea, bloating, and stomach pain, consuming this wheat protein can cause symptoms like headaches, joint pain, and rashes. Now, one woman’s experience suggests that gluten could even mess with your mind.
A new case study in the New England Journal of Medicine profiled a 37-year-old woman who was studying for her Ph.D. when she started experiencing delusions. In fact, she thought that the people around her were conspiring against her, or acting out scenes in a game. (That sounds terrifying, and for her sake, let’s hope those games didn’t involve a throne made of swords.)
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A few months later, the woman's apartment was broken into. Since her parents were the only ones with the key, she mistakenly believed they were to blame. After threatening them, she was admitted to a mental hospital. Worried that she was suffering from schizophrenia, docs prescribed anti-psychotics. But they didn’t stop the delusions.
So, straight out of an episode of House, M.D., docs dug deeper. They ordered tests, which showed she had several nutrient deficiencies and thyroid disease. Interviews with the family revealed she had unintentionally lost about 20 pounds, too. After a slew of tests, they began to suspect—and ultimately diagnose—the unlikely cause of her breakdown: celiac disease.
A gluten-free diet dramatically improved her symptoms. But since then, whenever she’s accidentally consumed the protein (it can hides in foods like tomato sauce and salad dressings), the delusions come back.
The takeaway: If you suspect something you're eating is messing with your health, get to your doctor, stat.
