‘Gluten Brain’: Wheat Cuts Off Blood Flow To Frontal Cortex

 

As far back as 1954, reports of the full or partial resolution of schizophrenia following a gluten free diet began to surface in the medical literature. We covered this remarkable pattern of associations in a previous article titled, “60 Years of Research Links Gluten Grains to Schizophrenia.” While the explanation for this intriguing connection has remained focused on the disruption of the gut-brain axis and the presence in wheat of a wide range of pharmacologically active and mostly opioid receptor modulating polypeptides, a new and possibly more disturbing explanation is beginning to surface: wheat consumption cuts off blood flow to the brain.

Starting with a 1997 case study published in the Journal of Internal Medicine involving a 33-year-old patient, with pre-existing diagnosis of ‘schizophrenic’ disorder, who first came to medical attention for severe diarrhea and weight loss (classical symptoms of gluten intolerance), brain scan technology determined that cerebral hypoperfusion (decreased blood flow to the brain) was occurring within the patient’s frontal cortex.[i] A gluten free diet resulted not only in the normalization of intestinal damage and autoantibodies, but the return of blood flow to the frontal cortex, and the resolution of schizophrenic symptoms.

Then, in 2004, a follow up study was performed to verify if the 1997 case study was just a fluke, or perhaps a widespread effect of untreated celiac disease. Published in the American Journal of Medicine, researchers from the Institute of Internal Medicine, Catholic University, Rome, Italy, compared 15 untreated celiac patients without neurological or psychiatric disorders other than anxiety or depression, with 15 celiac patients who were on a gluten-free diet for almost 1 year, and 24 healthy volunteers of similar sex and age. All subjects underwent cerebral single photon emission computed tomography examination.

The results were remarkable, with dramatically increased incidence of impaired brain blood flow in untreated celiac patients, reported as follows:

“Of the 15 untreated celiac patients, 11 (73%) had at least one hypoperfused brain region, compared with only 1 (7%) of the 15 celiac patients on a gluten-free diet and none of the controls (P = 0.01). Cerebral perfusion was significantly lower (P <0.05) in untreated celiac patients, compared with healthy controls, in 7 of 26 brain regions. No significant differences in cerebral perfusion were found between celiac patients on a gluten-free diet and healthy controls.”

They concluded: “There is evidence of regional cerebral blood flow alteration in untreated celiac patients.”

Discussion

So, let’s take a closer look at what cerebral (brain) hypoperfusion means.

Hypoperfusion is simply decreased blood flow through an organ. Whether it is an internal organ like the kidney, a muscle or the brain, the organ will experience lower availability of oxygen (hypoxia) and nutrients, and will therefore function at a suboptimal level.  Cerebral hypoperfusion, therefore, is decreased blood flow to the brain – an organ with extremely high energy demands, and upon which our entire consciousness depends.

Dr. David Perlmutter, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling book Grain Brain, has made great strides in introducing the concept to the world that grains adversely affect brain health. We know that the carbohydrate content of grains alone contribute to disrupting insulin-mediated glucose homeostasis within neurons, ultimately contributing to their suboptimal functioning and in some cases demise, but the discovery that wheat in particular has blood flow disrupting properties to the frontal cortex of the grain, has profound implications.

For example, it is know that the frontal lobe house the ‘executive functions‘ of the brain, including:

• Recognizing future consequences resulting from current actions


• Choosing between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ actions


• Overriding and suppressing socially unacceptable responses


• Retaining longer term memories which are not task-based.


• Determine similarities and differences between things or events.

If wheat consumption, through some as of yet unknown mechanism, interferes with blood flow to the brain in susceptible individuals, and as a result disrupts the executive functions of the brain, abstaining from it should be considered a reasonable precautionary behavior, assuming we wish to retain these critical functions related to morality, cognizance, and social responsibility.

For additional research on the adverse health effects of wheat, read our article: Wheat: 200 Clinically Confirmed Reasons Not To Eat It.

Also, for more information on the brain-specific harmful effects of wheat, read the following articles or watch the video:

• The Grain That Damages The Human Brain, by Sayer Ji


• This Is Your Body (and Brain) on Gluten, by Dr. Kelly Brogan, MD


• Video: Gluten Brain: How Wheat Cuts off Blood Flow – GreenMedTV

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[i] A De Santis, G Addolorato, A Romito, S Caputo, A Giordano, G Gambassi, C Taranto, R Manna, G Gasbarrini. Schizophrenic symptoms and SPECT abnormalities in a coeliac patient: regression after a gluten-free diet. J Intern Med. 1997 Nov ;242(5):421-3. PMID: 9408073

© April 11, 2018 GreenMedInfo LLC. This work is reproduced and distributed with the permission of GreenMedInfo LLC. Want to learn more from GreenMedInfo? Sign up for the newsletter here http://www.greenmedinfo.com/greenmed/newsletter.

 

The post ‘Gluten Brain’: Wheat Cuts Off Blood Flow To Frontal Cortex appeared first on The Sleuth Journal.

Avoid These Drinks to Help Prevent Brain Shrinkage, Dementia, and Strokes

One of the keys to keeping your brain nice and plump and in proper working order is avoiding soda – and not just the sugar-sweetened kind, either. Drinking sodas, whether regular or diet, is bad for brain health, 2 recent studies show. [1]

One study showed that people who drank diet soda every day were three times more likely to have a stroke or develop dementia over 10 years compared with those who didn’t consume any diet soda.

The second study showed that people who drank at least one diet soda daily had smaller brain volumes than people who didn’t drink any diet soda. The same study found that people who consumed more than two sugary beverages a day, such as soda or fruit juice, had smaller brain volumes and worse memory function compared with non-sugary beverage drinkers.

Study #1

For the first study, researchers interviewed about 43,000 people, age 45 and older, three times over seven years, and asked them whether they drank any diet or sugar-sweetened beverages. Toward the end of the study, the researchers started tracking the participants’ health for cases of stroke and dementia. This monitoring continued for 10 years.

During the monitoring period, 97 people had a stroke, and 81 developed dementia. Sixty-three of the 81 had dementia consistent with Alzheimer’s disease.

Read: How Diet Sodas Mess with Your Brain (video)

The scientists concluded that diet beverage consumption – but not sugary drink consumption – was associated with a higher risk of stroke and dementia over a 10-year period.

It’s not clear why; however, diet drinks have been linked in past studies to obesity and diabetes, which might also be linked with poor blood circulation. Circulation problems may increase a person’s risk of stroke or dementia because a constant flow of blood is necessary for proper brain functioning.

Source: The Washington Post

Study #2

In the second study, researchers looked at brain scans and results of cognitive tests conducted on about 4,000 people. Participants self-reported whether they drank any diet or sugary beverages, and if so, how much.

Researchers uncovered a link between the consumption of both sugary and diet drinks and smaller brain volumes. An additional link between the consumption of sugary beverages and poorer memory was found. All are considered risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease, according to the researchers.

Read: Diet Soda Increases Risk of Heart Attack and Stroke

The team controlled for cholesterol, smoking, diabetes, blood pressure, and various other health and behavioral factors. [2]

As in the first study, the mechanisms behind the decline in brain volume and memory may be tied to poor circulation, as previous research has linked high sugar intake with diabetes and high blood pressure. Both conditions are linked to compromised blood circulation that may negatively affect brain health. [1]

Lead author Matthew P. Pase, a senior research fellow at Boston University, says of the results of the second study:

“Although we can’t prove cause and effect, these data suggest that we should be cautious about drinking sugary beverages. They’re empty calories that contribute to weight gain and metabolic disease.” [2]

Sources:

[1] Live Science

[2] The New York Times

The Washington Post

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.

Resveratrol may Benefit Your Arteries, Especially if You Have Type 2 Diabetes

Resveratrol – a substance found in red wine, peanuts, and berries – may reduce artery stiffness in people with Type 2 diabetes, according to a new study presented in early May at the American Heart Association’s 2017 Scientific Sessions in Minneapolis. [1]

The study’s senior author, Dr. Naomi M. Hamburg, of the Boston University School of Medicine, said:

“This adds to emerging evidence that there may be interventions that may reverse the blood vessel abnormalities that occur with aging and are more pronounced in people with Type 2 diabetes and obesity.”

Read: 4 Health-Protective Qualities of Resveratrol

For the study, researchers recruited 57 obese, middle-aged patients with Type 2 diabetes. Nearly 2/3 of the participants were African American, and slightly more than half were women.

The aorta, the largest artery in the body, stiffens with age and illness, increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes. Researchers tested the participants’ arterial stiffness using a test called the carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, or CFPWV, after the volunteers consumed daily doses of 100 mg/day of resveratrol for 2 weeks, followed by 300 mg/day of resveratrol for 2 weeks.

The test was performed a second time after participants underwent comparable placebo dosing for a total of 4 weeks.

In addition, researchers assessed the ability of the participants’ blood vessels to expand and relax as needed to allow for changes in blood flow, an important indicator of healthy blood vessel function.

Overall, the study found that participants who took the resveratrol supplements had less arterial stiffness, but it wasn’t statistically significant.

In a subset of 23 patients who had severe aortic stiffness at the beginning of the study, however, the 300 mg dose of resveratrol reduced aortic stiffness by 9.1%, and the 100 mg dose reduced aortic stiffness by 4.8%. [2]

Among the patients that took a placebo for 4 weeks, aortic stiffening worsened.

Past studies in animals showed that resveratrol activates a gene (SIRT1) that seems to delay aging and development of several diseases. To test whether the same thing occurs in humans, researchers took samples from the blood vessel linings of 7 patients and looked at SIRT1 activity. After resveratrol supplementation, they found that gene activity increased slightly in humans.

Source: Dr. Axe

That doesn’t necessarily mean that the antioxidant can undo age-related changes in the arteries, but it’s a step towards helping scientists figure out how resveratrol can reverse age-related changes in the arteries.

Read: Resveratrol Protects Diabetics Against Heart Disease

Lead study author, Dr. Ji-Yao Ella Zhang, Ph.D., also of the Boston University, said:

“We found that resveratrol also activates the longevity gene SIRT1 in humans, and this may be a potential mechanism for the supplements to reduce aortic stiffness.

However, the changes in this small and short-term study are not proof. Studies with longer treatment are needed to test the effects of a daily resveratrol supplement on vascular function.” [1]

Hamburg cautions that resveratrol may not be as beneficial to people without Type 2 diabetes.

“The effect of resveratrol may be more about improving structural changes in the aorta, and less about the relaxation of blood vessels, and people with more normal aortic stiffness may not get as much benefit.” [3]

Sources:

[1] Newsmax Health

[2] Health Day

[3] Healthline

Dr. Axe

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About Julie Fidler:
	Julie Fidler is a freelance writer, legal blogger, and the author of Adventures in Holy Matrimony: For Better or the Absolute Worst. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and two ridiculously spoiled cats. She occasionally pontificates on her blog.