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Article On The Brain/gut Connection

Nantzie

By Nantzie
in Publications & Publicity

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Nantzie Collaborator
Nantzie
Posted

Ya know, I read a similar article regarding the same researcher maybe 6-7 years ago and didn't keep a copy of it.

When I was discussing my symptoms with my very nice, interested GI doctor, he said that my psych symptoms because of intolerance to gluten made a lot of sense because the digestive system is the biggest nervous system outside the brain.

That got me thinking back to reading that article years ago, but I wasn't able to find it.

Anyone who has psychological symptoms due to celiac should really take a look at this. It talks about how the gut has such a large, semi-independently functioning mass of nerve cells, that it acts like a second brain. That may explain why when we get glutened, those of us who have psych symptoms, get such bad ones.

This is the original article I remember reading, published in 1996. There is no mention of celiac, or food intolerances, but that was before all current information we have about celiac was published.

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Nancy

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rinne Apprentice
rinne
Posted

Very interesting article, I wonder if the gut is the first brain and the head the second, sometimes it seems like we have everything else topsy turvy. :lol: Why not this too?

I have been thinking about an aspect of my personality which when I have been eating gluten dominates, it is a kind of 'fight, fight, fight' feeling. For the first time it totally makes sense to me given that my body was being poisoned when I consumed gluten.

Isn't it the most natural thing that my gut is saying "pain, protect"? And isn't it natural that my gut would convey that message to my brain and my brain would be confused as to the source of the pain because the pain came before thinking? This is all very new and overwhelming to me. I see how deeply I have been affected by this and how the other side of the pain has been depression. I struggled with that for years and when I have consumed gluten in the past ten years depression is one of the side effects.

Thanks for this thread. I look forward to hearing what others have to say about this.

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elonwy Enthusiast
elonwy
Posted

That is one of the coolest things I have read in a while. It's also going to be the water cooler conversation at work tommorrow, lol.

Its even one more reason to think about everything I put in my body.

So if Celiac is caused by the gut brain being confused, and they learn how to "teach" that brain... maybe all my gut brain needs is some schooling.

Elonwy

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Nantzie Collaborator
Nantzie
  • Author
Posted

I'm glad you guys found it as interesting as I did. I actually found the doctor's email address at Columbia and gave him a short description of how much celiacs deal with psychological symptoms and how his research may provide some answers. I think that celiac researchers are focused so much on the damage it does to the intestines, that they may not be looking at the psychological aspects.

I hope he reads it. We'll see.

:)

Nancy

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schuyler Apprentice
schuyler
Posted
So if Celiac is caused by the gut brain being confused, and they learn how to "teach" that brain... maybe all my gut brain needs is some schooling.

Mine too!

I loved that article; very interesting

Danielle

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bklyn Enthusiast
bklyn
Posted

I'm a walking testimony to the connection between brain and gut. I've recently had to re-schedule my capsule endoscopy 3 times because each time the day before the test is scheduled, I wake up too sick to drink the prep. (Nausea and headache, in bed for a couple of days). Now this can't be a coincidence, right?

Each time I tell myself I'm not going to get sick, but I seem to have no control over it.

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