The Gut – Brain Connection
Explore the Effects of Wheat and Dairy on Mood With Dr. Meghan Van Vleet
The food we eat doesn’t just affect our physical health — it can influence the brain through our moods, our thoughts, and even our emotions. Among the most considered contributors to this gut-brain connection are two proteins: gluten – found in wheat, barley, and rye, and casein – found in dairy products as well as protein bars or Coffee Mate creamer. In this article, Dr. Meghan Van Vleet helps us understand the gluten and casein link to mental health.
Endorphins & Exorphins
Endorphins are produced by the body and act as natural pain relievers and mood enhancers. They bind to opioid receptors in the brain to help promote resilience to stress and increase feelings of happiness. Endorphins stabilize mood and help support the reward processing pathways in the brain. They even play a role in boosting immune function, controlling your rate of digestion and supporting cardiovascular health. That “high” you feel after a good exercise session is thanks to your endorphins.
Exorphins are compounds that find their way into your body from proteins found in wheat (gluten) and dairy (casein) called gluteomorphins and casomorphins. These peptides are opioid analogues, meaning they mimic endorphins by binding to the body’s opioid receptors. This can create addictive-like effects by triggering the brain’s reward system. Exorphins create the “high”, but are, in fact, inflammatory molecules and disrupt the work of the body’s natural endorphins.
A variety of contributing factors will influence whether your body is affected by exorphins, including digestive enzymes, and the health of the digestive system.
Digestive Enzymes & Exorphins
The digestive enzyme Dipeptidyl Peptidase (DPP-IV) is produced mainly by the cells in the small intestine and helps the body break down gluten and casein. Insufficient DPP-IV enzyme leaves gluten and casein proteins, especially the exorphins, undigested and free to enter the blood stream (via a leaky gut) where they find their way to the brain receptors.
Insufficiency of DPP-IV can be from low production of these enzymes associated with digestive health, genetic expression, or a combination of these factors. Insufficiency can also be due to simply consuming too much of these foods for the enzymes to manage. Remember, exorphins trigger the brain’s reward system and encourage you to eat more of these foods.
Digestive Health
Inflammation or damage to the cells that line the intestine impairs your ability to effectively digest gluten, dairy, and the exorphins these foods produce. This happens in two key ways:
- The injured digestive cells are less able to produce DPP-IV to break down exorphins.
- The damage weakens the barrier between the gut and the bloodstream, allowing partially digested exorphin proteins to seep through and enter circulation instead of staying within the digestive tract so they can be safely broken down to inactive compounds. Damage to the intestinal barrier is also known as Leaky Gut Syndrome.
When exorphins escape proper digestion and enter the bloodstream, they can begin to affect systems beyond the gut — especially the brain. This disruption may lead to a range of symptoms, which can offer clues that the body is reacting to these compounds and needs additional support.
Symptoms & Support
Behavior patterns from exorphins are consistent with OCD, dyslexia, eating disorders, depression, psychosis, schizophrenia, ADHD and severe anxiety. Signs that might be associated with exorphin impacts on your health include but are not limited to:
- A compulsive need to eat gluten and dairy (pizza, ice cream, macaroni & cheese)
- Mood swings or difficulty managing emotions when these foods are removed
- Brain fog or difficulty concentrating
- Sleep disturbances or trouble falling asleep
- Irritability
It’s important to keep in mind that there are various pathways that may cause a person to have a sensitivity or poor reaction to these foods – it may not be due to exorphins. There are many contributing factors. It is also important that if someone is experiencing a reaction due to exorphins the solution is not to abruptly remove these foods from the diet. The withdrawal from the exorphins can have significant impacts to both physical and mental health creating anxiety or agitation, irritability, aggression, fatigue, depression, intense cravings.
If you think you or your child might have symptoms related to wheat or dairy from your diet, Dr Van Vleet recommends you work with a trained practitioner.
