The old saying, "You are what you eat" should be brought back to everyday life. There is a correlation to our health based on what we eat. Gluten is one of those foods that affects my health in various ways.... digestive issues, esophagus pain, GERD, headaches, skin disorders and anxiety.
Today's topic is Panic Attacks and the relationship to Gluten Exposure:
Panic Attacks.... I have had 6 of them in the last 12 days. Researching if it was all in my head or ..... Gluten Exposure. Well. low and behold, it IS the Gluten Exposure. A panic attack is a sudden surge of overwhelming anxiety and fear. Your heart pounds and you can’t breathe. You may even feel like you’re dying or going crazy.
Symptoms of a Panic Attack ~ heart palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, or feelings of unreality, chest pain, nausea, sweating, and shaking.
My research shows:
Gluten Exposure can cause many Neurologic and Psychiatric Manifestations
Anxiety Disorders
Various types of anxiety are associated with gluten intolerance. One study found that CD patients were significantly more likely to have state anxiety when compared to controls, and that after 1 year on a gluten-free diet, there was a significant improvement in state anxiety symptoms Other anxiety disorders such as social phobia and panic disorder have been linked to gluten response. Addolorato and colleagues reported that a significantly higher proportion of CD patients had social phobia compared to normal controls. Additionally, a higher lifetime prevalence of panic disorder has been found in CD patients and new studies have confirmed the increased association between CD and anxiety . Source: Neurologic and Psychiatric Manifestations of Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity- Those with gluten sensitivity occasionally have blood flow issues to the brain that appears to cause anxiety. Source: Calm Clinic
- Dr. Vikki Petersen co-author of “The Gluten Effect” offers her findings in the video below about Panic Attacks related to Gluten Intolerance. Source: www.healthnowmedical.com
- Chronic inflammation interferes with the proper function of your enteric nervous system or “gut brain.” This lowers your natural stores of the feel-good hormone, serotonin, which can cause anxiety.
- Gluten acts as an addictive opiate to the brain and causes cravings for the indigestible protein. This feeling of addiction and withdrawal, even over the course of several hours, can trigger a panic attack.
- Digestion is negatively by Gluten if you Gluten Intolerance, this affects your blood sugar, causing dangerous drops and spikes. This constant state of chemical confusion can also bring on anxiety attacks Source: askdrmaxwell.com.
- Gluten Intolerant individuals frequently suffer from Malaborption of nutrients which can lead to Panic Attacks due to inadequate levels of Vitamin D3 & Magnesium. Magnesium deficiency can lead to debilitating anxiety attacks, insomnia, unusual behavior, and paranoia. Low Vitamin D3 can lead to schizophrenia, anxiety, and depression. Source: Mayo Clinic & Ask Dr. Maxwell
Gluten Exposure happens to the best of us..... Food Additives, Ingredient Lists not indicating Gluten or it's derivatives. I learned the hard way 2 weeks ago that the spices I added to the recipe I was making had flour added to prevent clumping of the spices. Guess what?! The flour was not listed on the ingredients! I investigated the manufacturer's website and under FAQ, there it was in the "how we ensure freshness".
There is HOPE.....Heal your Intestines and become free of Anxiety Disorders without medications!
Eat a Gluten Free diet which contains: starches from rice, corn, and potatoes, fruits and vegetables that are on the Low FODMAP diet. Create a Food Diary which notes symptoms, feelings and overall scoring of the day.
*Remember to watch for Inactive Ingredients in foods, medicines and supplements that can contain Gluten or Wheat!