Up to 50% of gluten sensitive people have a neurological disease like alzheimers, autism, parkinsons, seizures, or migraines. It is becoming more and more apparent that gluten sensitivity is a very serious thing. Gluten and glutamate are dangerous to the central nervous system and can have dangerous consequences in sensitive individuals.
It all starts with the breakdown of gluten in our bodies. Gluten breaks down into various amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of all proteins. One of the gluten amino acids is glutamine. When it breaks down, it becomes the protein glutamate in the small intestines.
This glutamate is different from the glutamate in msg (monosodium glutamate). Although msg is also an excitotoxin, it is actually made by making a salt out of the amino acid glutamate.
Neurological problems stem not only from the glutamate in msg, but also from free glutamate which is also an excitotoxin. Free glutamate is created in ultra pasteurized dairy products and over-cooked or highly processed proteins like lunch meat, sausages, hot dogs, etc.
Most who react negatively to msg are gluten sensitive people and have a clue that they are sensitive but don’t necessarily realize that they are affected by the free glutamate as well.
Glutamate, which is known to be an excitotocin or neurotoxin, causes damage to nerve cells as well as cell death in the brain and nervous system. If a gluten sensitive person is exposed to toxins like those that are in pesticides, heavy metals, vaccines or gluten for example, their brain’s immune system can be activated. This activation allows subsequent toxin exposure to build up in the brain and cause disease that result in things like seizures.
Understanding that gluten creates a leaky gut is one thing. Recognizing that the breakdown of gluten can create other problems by leaving the gut and moving into other parts of the body, like the brain, is another thing.
By removing gluten and glutamate from your diet, you can help see if it is a contributing factor in your neurological condition. Changing your diet to be free from gluten may help in reversing neurological disease if you are one of those gluten sensitive people.
You can protect the neurological system in your brain with foods like colorful fruits and vegetables which are neuro-protective and can act in a manner that protects your brain.
In this video, Dr. Vikki Petersen discusses the differences between gluten, gliaden and glutamate and how it effects the brain with things such as migraines and seizures as well as the body with things like leaky gut.