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Brain Differences in Celiac Patients


As I was conducting research, I came across an article that theorizes there are brain differences in those who have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease. It is being said that people with an official diagnosis of Celiac Disease, via biopsy, have brain changes associated with areas of the brain, such as: memory, muscle control, learning, speech, and sensory perception.

During a study of 17 patients with a biopsy-diagnosis of Celiac Disease, researchers found that there were small volumes of brain cells in the brain's grey matter. Researchers also found that there were high amounts of bright, white spots in their brains. Those white spots, put those suffering from Celiac Disease at a risk for stroke, dementia, and even death.

This is something I never even knew. It puts a lot of things into perspective, and it makes a lot of sense, when you think about it. Celiac Disease is an auto-immune malnutrition disease. It's only natural that the malnutrition affects other parts of the body as well. When the body does not get the nutrients it needs, it puts the body in a vulnerable position.
With this in mind, in order to find out how much the disease has impacted the body, I think it is a very smart idea to get an MRI of the brain. I certainly would want one. Dementia has affected my family. My grandmother had Celiac and Dementia, and died from both.

This definitely is something to think about.

Source: http://celiacdisease.about.com/b/2013/06/07/asymptomatic-brain-changes-seen-in-people-with-celiac-disease.htm?nl=1

(photo courtesy of: http://healthy-family.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/11/brainscan.jpg)

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