Can gluten actually cause anxiety and depression in gluten sensitive/celiac individuals?
It sure can. If the necessary enzyme is missing, the gluten only breaks down halfway – and then there’s this chemical called an opioid peptide, which can leak into the bloodstream (“leaky gut syndrome” which was extremely controversial, but the mechanism for which was discovered by researchers in Maryland in July 2008). Opiates can cause all kinds of problems, mental and physical. I have given a few more details in my Squidoo lens, Gluten and Depression, How does that work?, or if you want the scientific details, try this knol: Gluten, Casein and how they cause problems.
