Depression and Constipation in Celiac Patients
Although we recognize celiac disease might well extend to constipation if not treated by a strict gluten-elimination diet, many studies now appear to indicate that coeliac disease may also lead to depression.
How precisely? Well that piece isn’t too distinct just yet. We may call the problem celiac depression, but its origins might be from coeliac disease itself, malnutrition resulting from malabsorption deriving from coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, or even just the anxiety and stress individuals often face while conforming to a gluten-free lifestyle.
Numerous researchers believe that malabsorption can interfere with the body’s handling of the neurotransmitters which regulate mood. In particular, malabsorption-related deficiencies of tryptophan appear to contribute to depressive disorder within celiac patients. Tryptophan is all-important for the body’s output of serotonin, which is the central neurotransmitter expected by the body for mood regulation as well as the neurotransmitter which empowers our body’s tolerance of anxiety.
So one must question then if adapting to a gluten-free diet can aid in treating depression while also minimizing celiac disease symptoms. If the patients clinical depression is affiliated with malabsorption of nutrients, then being gluten-free may ease treatment, as the intestines mend and nutrient assimilation increases.
With many instances, it appears the malnutrition theory seems to be the most substantive and legitimate. And what occurs before you begin suffering this malnutrition from gluten intolerance? That’s right, celiac disease constipation. Constipation from Celiac Disease, in particular, results from the break down of villi which line your small intestine. This villi is critical for nutrient assimilation. So I hope you now see how constipation from celiac disease can lead to a kind of celiac depression.
DISCLAIMER: I do wish my blogging on this issue assists people reading, but note that I am not a medical professional so you must consult with a medical doctor before taking any medical suggestions from the Internet.
This entry was posted on Friday, January 29th, 2010 at 4:48 am and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.