<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>> Below are the responses I got from my question about celiac disease and alzheimer's. It was really helpful to learn more about the connection to other problems such as diabetes. I don't have a medical diagnosis and my relatives don't take it seriously, but if any of the other problems show up I will try to convince them to get tested. People on this list are so helpful! Suzanne >Good question. >My great aunt (a celiac) said she knows that her mother had celiac but was >undiagnosed. She did lose her mind as she aged. Maybe there is a >connection there? >Suzanne >your relatives may have been asymptomatic. Gluten-intolerance >manifests in a million ways in every system of the body. Not all have >the the classic celiac symptoms. Have you had a chance to read the book: > Eat Right For Your (blood) Type > by Dr. Peter D'Adamo >It explains a lot about the ill effects of the wrong foods. My son >suffered from mental disorders after he graduated from University >at 21, and now at 37 he has been gluten-free for a while, and feels >better than ever. >I think that wheat is the poor man's poison! >Hi - >I was doing some research and found that indeed there is a higher incidence >of encephalopathy, cerebellar atrophy. Also, Vitamin deficiencies >(especially B and D) can cause memory problems, so any celiac should have >those checked frequently. My husband is a celiac and indeed, he complained >of memory troubles and as it turned out he was indeed deficient in those >vitamins. You may want to check out the St. John's University archives . A >specific article I found was from Bill Vellios <[log in to unmask]>, subject: >RELATED DISEASES TO CELIAC SPRUE. Date: Tue, 14 Jan. 1997. Good luck. >I just wanted to let you know that I have no history of CD in my family >either. However, my paternal side of the family has lots and lots of >diabetes! Diabetes and CD share the same gene. I don't have the specific >scientific reference on hand. I can dig it out for you if you want. Let me >know. I hope this helps. >I would investigate going gluten-free, and possibly also casein-free. > >Short term memory deficiencies have been linked to folic acid >deficiencies. Folic acid deficiencies are a common sign of gluten intolerance. > >According to Chris M. Reading in _Your Family Tree Connection_ [Keats >Publishing] the presence of Alzheimer's disease, and strokes, in a family >is a red flag for gluten intolerance. > >You might also want to have a look at Beversdorf et. al. "A man with >weight loss, ataxia, and confusion for 3 months" _Lancet_ 1996; 347: 446. > >Here's Ron's article on the connection: > >From: Ron Hoggan <[log in to unmask]> >Date: 18-JUN-1996 23:58 > >I see a connection between gluten intolerance and Alzheimer's. The logical >progression from what I am suggesting is that cortical atrophy is an >ongoing process, from as early as adolescence, where gliadins enter the >blood through the leaky gut, swamp the blood brain barrier, and attach to >the ICAM-1's in the microvessels. An autoimmune response to the gliadins >results in the destruction of both the gliadin molecule, and the ICAM, >which is followed by a tiny, tiny stroke. Repeat this process over many >years of gluten ingestion, and you have the cortical damage that we see in >Alzheimer's. The presence of aluminum at these sites may be the result of >heavy salt ingestion (very common among gluten intolerance folks due to >reductions in bile salts, due to atresia (partial or total blockage of the >bile duct). As salt is a very common source of aluminum, and sodium is used >in neurotransmission, I believe there is some basis for a hypothesis. I >have some ideas about the fibulary tangles, but am not yet clear enough on >the matter to discuss it. > >For many more articles by Ron see: http://www.panix.com/~donwiss/hoggan/ > >Here's something from a doctor that studies gluten intolerance: > >Date: Mon, 17 Jul 1995 12:07:27 -0500 >Sender: Celiac/Coeliac Wheat/Gluten-Free List <[log in to unmask]> >From: "Joe Murray, M.D." >Subject: Re: CELIAC Disease and dementia > >There are some reports of people with mental decline that resembled >Alzheimer's disease who had celiac disease diagnosed around the same time. >There is likely a connection though it is not clear how exactly. >Joe Murray >Not medical advice > >Here's an abstract from: http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis-rs3/p26-or05.html > >Collin P, Pirttila T, Nurmikko T, Somer H, Erila T, Keyrilainen O: CELIAC >DISEASE, BRAIN ATROPHY, AND DEMENTIA. Neurology 1991; 41(3):372-5. Summary: >We report five patients who developed dementia before age 60 and were >subsequently found to have celiac disease (CD). Intellectual deterioration >ranged from moderate to severe, and diffuse cerebral or cerebellar atrophy >was found on brain CT. Diagnosis of CD was confirmed by findings of >subtotal villous atrophy in jejunal biopsy specimens and positive serum >reticulin and gliadin antibodies. Conspicuously, gastrointestinal symptoms >were mild. The gluten-free diet failed to improve the neurologic disability >except in one patient. CD is a multisystem disorder and may play a role in >some cases of presenile dementia. Although the pathogenetic mechanisms are >obscure, immunologic mechanisms are implicated. > >I have one friend Susan Owens <[log in to unmask]> that has gotten excellent >results with her father's dementia by using a gluten-free and casein-free >diet, along with epsom salt baths. He also had IBS which cleared up on this >diet. You can write to her. > >I also can send more anecdotes. > >For more on this diet you can visit: > > The Gluten-Free Page: http://www.GFlinks.com/ > The Paleolithic Diet Page: http://www.PaleoDiet.com/ > The No Milk Page: http://www.NoMilk.com/