Lets look at the facts-

– Depression affects 20 million Americans every year

– Depression is the leading cause of disability in North America and costs tax payers billions in health care costs

– The World Health Organization has estimated that by the year 2020 depression will become the second largest cause of suffering- next to heart disease

Author and neurologist  Dr. David Perlmuitter, M.D., says in his latest book, The Grain Brain, depression is one of the top causes of mortality and what is even harder to swallow is that anti- depressants have been shown in many cases to be no more effective than a placebo and in some cases can be exceedingly dangerous and even lead to suicide.

The Gluten Blues Statistics

-Women on antidepressants have a 45 percent more chance of experiencing stroke & 32 percent higher risk of death from all causes

-Celiac patients have an 80 percent higher risk of depression

-Depressed individuals have a 230 percent increase of being diagnosed with Celiac Disease

-Depression is found in as many as 52 percent of gluten- sensitive individuals

With the recent passing of Robin Williams it has once again brought depression and the many who suffer in silence into the media.

Eighty to ninety percent of your body’s serotonin is in fact made in your gut more than in your brain. Gluten, a protein found in certain cereal grains like wheat, barley, rye, spelt and kamut can wreck havoc on some people’s intestines causing irritable bowel syndrome and other ailments.  So if gluten is affecting your gut, could it also be affecting the serotonin levels that can contribute to depression?

Many physicians ignore nutritional deficiencies and don’t think of testing for gluten sensitivity in depressed patients or changing their diet to eliminate gluten to see if in fact it could make a difference- they tend to write a prescription for antidepressants.

Specialists in the field like Dr. David Perlmutter, Dr. William Davis, Dr. Peter Osborne and Dr. Rodney Ford have found that removing gluten from those patients who suffer from depression can sometimes lead to a marked improvement. Their advice is to remove gluten for at least 3- 6 months to see if it makes a difference in your overall state of well being.

Do you know anyone who has removed gluten and seen a marked improvement in their depression? Not sure if Gluten is causing you health issues? I am a Diet Consultant specializing in foods that may be harmful to you and your particular health concerns. Let’s set up some time to chat on how I can help you.

For more information on the subject visit www.drperlmutter.com- www.wheatbelly.com – www.glutenfreesociety.org- www.drrodneyford.com