Gluten Withdrawal

I thought you might be interested to hear this account sent to me today of one person’s experience going truly gluten free:

“..the withdrawal was a definite euphoria for three days, I can only imagine it’d be like a ‘high’ from a soft drug?!!  Then after that it was a real fatigue that was heavy enough to make me nap in the afternoon and it was like a post natal depression that just washed over me – I felt disconnected to everything.  This Sunday will be my third TGF  week and I am thinking/hoping the worst has passed.  I am doing light exercise to combat fatigue and depression and just not going to give in.”

Well done, them. The drug reference is an interesting one and, for some people, it can indeed be like a withdrawal. Here is a little more on this subject from the TGF ebook:

“Gluten contains an opoid-like substance called gliadorphin. Much like casomorphin in dairy, the gliadorphin binds to opiate receptors in the brain and can affect behaviour and cognitive function by mimicking the action of opiates like heroin and morphine. This has most often been seen in autism and, in this regard, the Feingold Association advises:

“If necessary, casein and gluten items can be replaced very slowly, a tablespoon per day, for example. Remember that this is an addiction condition, and the child may have serious withdrawal symptoms, including behavioural deterioration, if changes are made too quickly.” That may not be bad advice for all gluten-sensitives.”

 

Related Articles

• How Long To Get Gluten Out Of The Body? (trulyglutenfree.co.uk)