<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Here's our original post (short, for once):

> Why would diet have any connection with handedness?
>
> We are curious because our daughter was solidly left-handed until we began
> the GF diet, just before she turned four. Within a couple of weeks she had
> switched to the right.
>
> This could be merely an interesting observation, but we wondered if anyone
> else had any insights on this. Thanks!

And  here are the responses to date:

=====

Given that celiac disease has been demonstrated to cause neuropathies of
a wide variety, and alter EEG patterns in untreated celiac disease, it
seems reasonable that it could effect the cns in such a way to alter
handedness. It is a very interesting observation, though, and I would be
very interested in hearing about any other such instances.

=====

Just a shot in the dark. Long time ago I read about some research
pertaining to the chemical differences between brains of LH and RH people.
Apparently they found in the temporal lobes a difference in the amount of
cells producing parvalbumin.
That is, RH and LH people might have different levels of that chemical in
their brains.

Assuming that the above is correct, is it possible that the diet changes
somehow the level of this chemical? Anyway, handedness seems more
complicated that levels of one chemical.

=====

I am a lefty, always have been even before my diagnosis in 1989. I am 36.
My 6 year old son is a lefty, does not yet show any antibodies to the
disease.

=====

I'm a celiac for now 28 years and I'm left-handed. I'm eating strictly
glutenfree since I'm 17 months old.

I have to add, that my parents are both left-handed - even the mother of
my mother was.

I think there is no link between glutenfree-diet (celiac disease) and
what hand your using mainly.

But from my own expierience never train or teach a left-handed person to
a right handed one. It will create complications for the rest of the
life. And - as I think - left-handed persons are more flexable than
right-handed are. Because we life in a right-handee world and have to do
some thinks with the right one, so we can use both hands better than the
right-handed can do.

=====

Found in a newsgroup. Maybe I should post to the list? Don.

Newsgroup: alt.support.crohns-colitis
Subject: Left handedness ?
From: Mark and Caroline Gordon <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Wed, 25 Sep 1996 12:54:30 -1000

Hi,

I am currently reading a great book, "The Left Hander Syndrome" by Stanley
Coren. It is all about the possible causes and consequences of left
handedness. Anyway, in the book he suggests that left-handedness is more
common in sufferers of IBD than the general population. He does not have a
solid reason for this, just that reasearch shows it to be so.

=====

Interesting!

Hello, I must tell you I've been left handed all my life but diagnosed
celiac only recently, I'm 24 yrs old.

You might want to make a survey of how many left handed vs right handed
being a celiac!

=====

That's it!

You know, we never questioned the left-handedness in the first place because we
have ambi's and lefties all throughout our families (both of us are ambi
ourselves). What really struck us was the abrupt and complete nature of the
change from leftie to rightie, and the fact that it took place at the relatively
old age of four.

Still a mystery, like so much else.