Schizophrenia and gluten link, new study

Main Category: Schizophrenia
Article Date: 20 Feb 2004 - 0:00 PDT

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It is possible that there could be a link between an allergy to gluten and Schizophrenia, say scientists. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, oats and other grains.

Most commonly, coelic disease (gluten intolerance) starts affecting people aged between 30-45. Symptoms of coeliac disease are weight loss, diarrhoea and tiredeness. Gluten intolerance can, however, hit people at any age.

In an article in the British Medical Journal, the researchers in this latest study said that a history of coeliac disease is a risk factor for Schizophrenia.

Interestingly, they also found that people with Schizophrenia benefited from cutting out cereals completely from their diets. The scientists recommended a gluten-free diet for people with coeliac disease.

In this study, 7,997 schizophrenic patients were tested. The study was carried out by Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions (USA) and Arrhus University and Aarhus Psychiatric Hospital (Denmark).

As both diseases are rare, Schizophrenia and Coeliac Disease, scientists said that the results reflected only a small proportion of cases.

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