Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Help Celiac.com:
    eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Dr. Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.
    Dr. Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

    A Few of the Many Facets of Brain Fog

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    Journal of Gluten Sensitivity Summer 2008 Issue. NOTE: This article is from a back issue of our popular subscription-only paper newsletter. Some content may be outdated.

    A Few of the Many Facets of Brain Fog - Image: CC BY-ND 2.0--Poisoned Apple Photography
    Caption: Image: CC BY-ND 2.0--Poisoned Apple Photography

    Celiac.com 09/10/2020 - Brain fog is a state of mind that many celiacs experience, frequently in response to eating gluten, whether intentionally or otherwise.  Sometimes we experience brain fog even when we are quite certain that we have not had any exposure to gluten.  I am intimately familiar with this mental state, both when I have accidentally ingested gluten, and at times when I am sure I have not.  At such times, my thinking becomes cloudy.  I feel slightly detached from the world and my own emotions.  I make mistakes that I would not normally make.  I feel less alert, do not remember as well, become absent minded, require more sleep, sleep more soundly, and feel less rested when I awaken.  I’m also a tad clumsier.  I’m more easily confused.  I find it more difficult to focus my attention and I sometimes feel mildly depressed.  

    As I have mentioned in a previous article, brain fog is likely due to the convergence of a variety of contributing factors.  My focus on that occasion was on exorphins—the morphine-like substances that come from partly digested gluten and dairy products and are sometimes called opioids.  I also mentioned in that earlier article that the increased intestinal permeability found in active celiac disease, and now associated with the recently discovered zonulin, was a likely contributor.  In susceptible individuals, gluten ingestion causes increased zonulin production.  Zonulin widens the spaces between epithelial cells.  

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
    Gluten’s contribution to brain fog is especially likely because zonulin not only causes a leaky gut—it also causes the same increase in permeability of epithelial junctions that form the blood brain barrier and which normally protects the brain from impurities in the bloodstream.  Zonulin-induced permeability in the gut and the brain open a path for opioids to enter the circulation and then the brain.  One feature of opioid activity is to alter blood flow patterns in the brain (1).  Both the action of zonulin and opioid-induced impacts on brain perfusion combine to suggest that opioids derived from gluten and dairy products are likely to contribute to brain fog in celiac patients when they ingest gluten.  Thus, gluten indirectly opens the gates to allow passage of gluten and dairy proteins through our protective barriers.  

    However, food derived opioids are only one of many likely contributors to the brain fog that comes to us through a leaky gut.  A leaky gut allows a mixture of foreign proteins and peptides to enter the bloodstream and the brain.  Many of these foreign substances may well impact on brain function in various and unpredictable ways.  The possibilities for negative impact on brain function are almost infinite.  The Feingold Association has long held that a variety of synthetic food additives and colorings have a powerful impact on symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in some individuals (https://www.feingold.org).  Perhaps these individuals have undiagnosed celiac disease or gluten sensitivity and are over-producing zonulin, thus allowing these chemicals access to the bloodstream and the brain.   

    The leaky gut is only one feature of celiac disease that may be at work in the symphony of interacting variables that result in our brain fog.  Malabsorption may also play an important role here.  Fat malabsorption, a long recognized feature of celiac disease, is often signaled by pale, floating stools and may be another contributor to brain fog.  Our failure to absorb fats will include reduced absorption of essential fats.  They are called “essential” because these fats are necessary to maintaining good health.  Our bodies use essential fats to make cell membranes for neurones in the brain, to make a range of hormones that are involved in immune function, platelet aggregation, inflammation, and other important functions.  Shortages of essential fatty acids have been reported in connection with neuro–degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and depression (2).  

    Mineral malabsorption is another important, well recognized feature of celiac disease.  In fact, one common finding that often leads to the diagnosis of celiac disease is long term, treatment resistant, unexplained iron deficiency.  Many untreated celiacs experience iron deficiency anemia.  Some of us, despite the gluten-free diet, continue to experience challenges in achieving and maintaining iron repletion.  Because most medical focus is on measuring hemoglobin, (which is the iron component of blood that distributes oxygen throughout the body) to identify iron deficiency, many more celiacs are likely to experience low iron stores and never be identified as long as their iron deficiency falls short of inducing anemia.  

    A number of reports have identified reduced intellectual function in association with deficiencies in iron stores.  These individuals are not anemic but they are likely to experience many of the symptoms of impaired intellectual function that are associated with iron deficiency.  Since iron ions are critical to the hippocampal function of encoding memories, it is not surprising that other researchers report improved memory and cognition among iron deficient subjects following iron supplementation.   

    Iron is also involved in some facets of immune function, mood, and impulse control.  It is easy to see how subclinical iron deficiency may be a large factor in brain fog.  To learn more about how iron deficiency can cause or contribute to poorer memory, lower intelligence, confusion, and despair, pick up a copy of my new book, “Get the Iron Edge”.  More importantly, this book will guide you through a process that will help you to optimize your iron status, memory, and cognitive capacities.   

    Of course, iron is not the only mineral that may play a role in brain fog.  Magnesium and zinc are also important to healthy brain function, and magnesium supplementation alone has been shown to mitigate ADHD symptoms in some subjects (3).  Malabsorption of any or all three of these minerals is likely to contribute to brain fog.  

    By the time we finally get a diagnosis of celiac disease many of us try to improve our bone density by taking calcium supplements.  Unfortunately, other minerals compete for the same transport mechanism that moves them across the intestinal barrier.  Excessive calcium supplementation may swamp our transport capacity and result in induced deficiencies of other minerals that are important to brain function.  

    Given all these data, brain fog is likely due to an unpredictable, unique, individualized mixture of contributing factors.  Thus, each of us will experience brain fog a little differently.  Gluten avoidance is the first step.  For some, dairy avoidance is another important step.  Balanced intake of minerals and other nutrients is also very important.  The elevation to a state of alertness, optimum brain function, and a healthy brain will help us rise above our present difficulties, one step at a time.

    Sources:

    • Gerra G, Calbiani B, Zaimovic A, Sartori R, Ugolotti G, Ippolito L, Delsignore R, Rustichelli P, Fontanesi B.  Regional cerebral blood flow and comorbid diagnosis in abstinent opioid addicts.  Psychiatry Res.  1998 Aug 26;83(2):117-26.
    • Caramia G., The essential fatty acids omega-6 and omega-3: from their discovery to their use in therapapy.  Minerva Pediatr.  2008 Apr;60(2):219-233.
    • Starobrat-Hermelin B, Kozielec T.  The effects of magnesium physiological supplementation on hyperactivity in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).  Positive response to magnesium oral loading test.  Magnes Res.  1997 Jun;10(2):149-56.  


    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    sc'Que?

    Great article! 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    Guest Debbie

    It seemed like after doing everything for my celiac diet, I was still having brain fog. It only stopped after I stopped eating all grains. This article was interesting and informative. I hope people pay attention. My main symptom before I was diagnosed was anemia. No matter how much iron I took, I still had anemia. Once I was diagnosed and started eating gluten free, the anemia finally resolved. It took a long time. Nothing is fast with the resolutions of symptoms of celiac disease. Everything takes months or years to resolve. Eat a good diet of whole foods. Don't cheat, you only hurt yourself. If I somehow ingest gluten, I'm sick for days. Luckily it does resolve. I've been gluten and grain free for 9 years. I follow a good diet and don't eat processed foods with more than a few ingredients. And those aren't very often. I never feel cheated. I just look at all the unhealthy people around me and I have strong resolve.

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    sc'Que?

    @Guest Debbie, just curious: After several yrs, did you try adding those other grains back into your diet?

    I've long had a suspicion that SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) was to blame for the flare-ups from other, non-gluten sources: wine, grains, sugar, fresh fruit....  And that once the body re-balances to optimal equilibrium it would be theoretically possible to add them back into the diet without issues.    

    Please expound, if you feel so inclined. I am so curious about this, but don't know enough folks who went down this route to be able to learn more. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    ch88
    11 hours ago, sc'Que? said:

    @Guest Debbie, just curious: After several yrs, did you try adding those other grains back into your diet?

    I've long had a suspicion that SIBO (Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth) was to blame for the flare-ups from other, non-gluten sources: wine, grains, sugar, fresh fruit....  And that once the body re-balances to optimal equilibrium it would be theoretically possible to add them back into the diet without issues.    

    Please expound, if you feel so inclined. I am so curious about this, but don't know enough folks who went down this route to be able to learn more. 

     SIBO might be a problem for some people.  There are however a lot of people on this forum who have other food sensitivities besides gluten. Gluten triggers an autoimmune response which results in damage to the intestine. The inflammation and a compromised immune system can result in other food sensitivities. Most of the time these issues will resolve on a gluten free diet. Other people on the forum though, continue to have problems even after doing an elimination diet for an extended period of time.  

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    AnonyousCda

    Brain fog and bipolar are fitting with one another.  The one brings the other out. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    sc'Que?

    My comment would be that they may correlate for someone who is bipolar, but not necessarily for someone who does not experience bipolar tendencies.  

    For me, I just get borderline "confused" and cannot focus. But I do not get the wild mood/personality swings. 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    knitty kitty

    Histamine release is part of the immune response when exposed to gluten.  High histamine levels are associated with "brain fog" and various degrees and kinds of mental illness.  High histamine levels are found in schizophrenics, bipolar, ADHD, and Parkinson's disease.  High histamine levels disrupt the normal flow of neurotransmitters in the brain.

    Vitamin B12 and Vitamin C and Thiamine (Vitamin B1 in the form Lipothiamine--this form of Thiamine crosses the blood brain barrier) and Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) and tryptophan and magnesium can accelerate clearance of histamine.  

    Hope this helps!

     

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    sc'Que?

    So when <unknown trigger #1> gets triggered, the body floods with histamine. And one of the responses could be a release of tryptophan?  

    I've been experiencing a strange reaction to <something> that I cannot seem to pin down.  I don't think it's gluten. But something/s are causing me to pass out about an hour after eating. Randomly.  No rhyme nor reason as to what the cuprit is so far. 

    But understanding that my sudden case of "narcolepsy" (in air-quotes) could be a biologicial reaction to histamine could be helpful. Am I reading you correctly, @Knitty Kitty? 

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    knitty kitty

    sc'Que?,

    No, the body doesn't flood with tryptophan in response to histamine.

    Histamine is cleared from the body with B12, vitamin C, vitamin B6, tryptophan, magnesium, and Thiamine.

    Thiamine is essential in making energy for the body out of carbohydrates (and proteins and fats).  

    Thiamine is essential for brain function, especially lower brain function that controls and regulates the autonomic nervous system, the part of the brain that controls blood pressure, heart rate, breathing, digestion, balance, etc., the things you don't consciously have to think about.  

    So you eat a heavy carbohydrate meal, thiamine is taken out of the blood stream to provide energy for the gastrointestinal tract for digestion.  The rest of the body doesn't have enough thiamine to run everything, so things start dialing down to conserve energy.  The brain, the autonomic nervous system, can be depleted of thiamine and can't regulate blood pressure, so you faint.  

    Thiamine is also needed for oxygenation, allowing oxygen to be utilized by your cells.  When you don't have enough thiamine, you may not be able to utilize  enough oxygen, and you pass out.  Sort of like high altitude sickness.  Iron deficiency, as stated in the article, can also contribute to low oxygenation. 

     Thiamine is also needed to make insulin.  Insulin gets sugar out of the blood stream and into the cells so the cells can "burn" the sugar with oxygen and Thiamine to turn it into energy.  If you don't have enough insulin, the sugar can't get in the cells to be turned into energy.  If you don't have enough oxygen, due to low thiamine or low iron, the sugar won't be able to be turned into energy.  If you don't have enough Thiamine, the sugar won't be able to be turned into energy.  

    High blood sugar levels can cause brain fog because the brain cells don't have enough insulin to get the sugar into the cells and don't have enough thiamine and oxygen to turn the sugar into energy.  

    Thiamine needs magnesium to work properly.  Like the article states, a magnesium deficiency can cause brain fog because there's not enough magnesium to work with thiamine to provide energy to those brain cells.

    Exogenous opioids, like those in dairy and gluten, can cause brain fog because the cells need energy from thiamine to dislodge them and if there's not enough thiamine, the opioids stay attached to the opioid receptors.  (THC can also dislodge those opioids, but that's another discussion.)

    Vitamin B12 and Vitamin C and zinc act as antioxidants to deactivate histamine.  

    B6 and Tryptophan helps make neurotransmitters so your brain can function properly.  Histamine destroys these neurotransmitters.

    Thiamine and magnesium give your cells the energy to function, make digestive fluids, make insulin, is essential for brain function and autonomous nervous system function.  Lipothiamine crosses the blood brain barrier.  Lipothiamine is excellent in fighting that brain fog.

    sc'Que?, try keeping a food diary.  Writing down what you eat and noting how you feel afterwards and when you pass out can help you pinpoint what's going on.  

    Keep us posted on your progress.

    Hope this helps.

    Knitty Kitty

     

     

     

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    sc'Que?

    Knitty Kitty, this very well may be the MOST HELPFUL THING I've ever read in these forums! I wish there was this much specificity in some of the articles so that it all pieced together better.  They do not (or did not, at least) teach this stuff in high school. And if you weren't in the right major, you were never going to learn it in university either. 

    So if you're not familiar with the jargon--because that wasn't your educational track--reading medical papers is insanely cumbersome.  And lay articles are like "dateline + repeating the headline in two sentences with different words" and that's it.  Also, if you don't know what you're trying to look up, it's hard to know if you're searching and finding the right information. 

    Thank you!  

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites
    knitty kitty

    sc'Que?,

    You're very welcome.

    I'm glad to share this knowledge so we all can live our best lives despite Celiac Disease.

    Knitty Kitty

    Link to comment
    Share on other sites


    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Help Celiac.com:
    Donate
  • About Me

    Dr. Ron Hoggan, Ed.D.

    As co-author of "Dangerous Grains" and "Cereal Killers", the study of the impact of gluten continues to be a driving passion in my life. I am fascinated by the way that gluten induces illness and impedes learning while it alters mood, behavior, and a host of other facets of our existence. Sure, the impact of gluten on health is an important issue, but that is only the most obvious area of impact. Mood disturbances, learning disabilities, and the loss of quality of life due to psychiatric and neurological illness are even more tragic than the plethora of physical ailments that are caused or worsened by gluten. The further I go down this rabbit hole, the more I realize that grains are a good food for ruminants - not people. I am a retired school teacher. Over the last decade, I have done some college and university level teaching, but the bulk of my teaching career was spent working with high school students.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Related Articles

    Dr. Rodney Ford M.D.
    Celiac.com 12/11/2006 - Yes, that's what I think. Gluten-sensitivity is a disease of your brain and nerves.
    The gluten puzzle
    I have come to this conclusion after studying the effects of gluten on my patients for over a decade. I am a pediatric gastroenterologist and allergist. I run a busy clinic for children and their parents. I have been increasingly concerned by the large numbers of my patients who are affected by gluten. I was perplexed by their wide-ranging symptoms. The puzzle was to explain how gluten could cause so much ill health to so many people in so many different ways, including celiac disease.
    Faulty brain control
    Eureka! The solution came when deep in discussion with my friend and colleague, Ron Harper, Professor of Neurobiology, UCLA. We were...


    Jefferson Adams
    Celiac.com 03/20/2014 - No one wants a brain disease, and some recent books on the effects of gluten-free diets are suggesting that a gluten-free diet might actually protect you from brain diseases.
    One such book is Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth About Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar — Your Brain's Silent Killers, by David Perlmutter, M.D., a practicing neurologist.
    Symptoms of celiac disease are known to include intestinal difficulties associated with an adverse immunological response triggered by gluten. This response, which leads to inflammation in the gut, can happen elsewhere in the body too.
    According to Perlmutter, inflammation is at the root of many diseases and complications, including, brain decay.
    According to Perlmutter, gluten can lead to inflammation in the brain, ...


    Jefferson Adams
    Celiac.com 10/02/2014 - Most people have heard about kidney stones, or gall stones, due to calcium build up. Others may know that calcium deposits can affect the heart, and even the brain. However, until now, it was not known that, in certain cases, celiac disease can trigger calcification in the brain.
    Doctors examining a 24-year-old Brazilian man with a history of recurrent headaches revealed a rare condition known as the CEC syndrome, a combination of celiac disease, epilepsy, and cerebral calcification, commonly referred to as ‘brain stones.’
    The man had been treated for migraine headaches over a period of 10 years, with little response. Standard blood tests showed a mildly decreased folate level (2.2 ng per milliliter [5.0 nmol per liter]; compared to a reference range of ...


    Jefferson Adams
    Celiac.com 03/18/2020 - Researchers are still debating the extent to which celiac disease might cause brain damage. Some research has indicated that celiac disease can trigger changes to brain white matter, among other potential issues.
    A team of researchers recently set out to validate previous reports, we investigated the prevalence of neuropsychological dysfunction in persons with celiac disease included in the National UK Biobank, which contains experimental medical data from 500,000 adults in the United Kingdom.
    The research team included I.D. Croall, D.S. Sanders, M. Hadjivassiliou, and N. Hoggard. They are variously affiliated with the University of Sheffield, Academic Unit of Radiology; the Academic Unit of Gastroenterology; and the Department of Neurology at Royal...


  • Recent Activity

    1. - shadycharacter replied to Linedancegal's topic in Introduce Yourself / Share Stuff
      3

      25 year biopsy confirmed/ate pizza with no ill effects?

    2. - trents replied to AlyO's topic in Parents, Friends and Loved Ones of Celiacs
      3

      Possible gluten exposure in 4yo

    3. - AlyO replied to AlyO's topic in Parents, Friends and Loved Ones of Celiacs
      3

      Possible gluten exposure in 4yo

    4. - trents replied to Hannah24's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      5

      Negative Test but I have All the Symptoms!


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      120,460
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    BrittanyH
    Newest Member
    BrittanyH
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.2k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):





  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Popular Now

    • Hannah24
    • jessiemariecar
    • Rhonda H
    • HayleyC123
    • Touche
  • Popular Articles

    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
  • Upcoming Events

×
×
  • Create New...