Summary: Researchers found that wheat gluten induces brain inflammation in mice, a finding that could have implications for human health.
The study revealed that when mice consumed gluten, inflammation occurred in the hypothalamic region of the brain, which plays a vital role in regulating metabolism. While past research demonstrated gluten’s effects on weight gain and inflammation in the digestive system, this is the first study highlighting its impact on the brain.
The findings raise questions about potential long-term effects on humans, such as weight gain, blood sugar regulation issues, and impaired memory.
Key Facts:
- The research indicated that gluten, when added to the diet of mice, caused inflammation in the hypothalamic region of the brain.
- Mice models are deemed valuable for studying human physiology due to similarities in various systems, suggesting potential implications for humans.
- While the exact reason for the inflammation is still unknown, one theory suggests that indigestible components of gluten may trigger an immune response similar to that seen in celiac patients.
Source: University of Otago
Original Research: Open access.
“Dietary wheat gluten induces astro‐ and microgliosis in the hypothalamus of male mice” by Alex Tups et al. Journal of Neuroendocrinology
Full Paper (Open Access):
Gluten, which is found in cereals such as wheat, rye and barley, makes up a major dietary component in most western nations, and has been shown to promote body mass gain and peripheral inflammation in mice. In the current study, we investigated the impact of gluten on central inflammation that is typically associated with diet-induced obesity. While we found no effect of gluten when added to a low-fat diet (LFD), male mice fed high fat diet (HFD) enriched with gluten increased body mass and adiposity compared with mice fed HFD without gluten. We furthermore found that gluten, when added to the LFD, increases circulating C-reactive protein levels. Gluten regardless of whether it was added to LFD or HFD led to a profound increase in the number of microglia and astrocytes in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus, as detected by immunohistochemistry for ionised calcium binding adaptor molecule 1 (Iba-1) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP), respectively. In mice fed LFD, gluten mimicked the immunogenic effects of HFD exposure and when added to HFD led to a further increase in the number of immunoreactive cells. Taken together, our results confirm a moderate obesogenic effect of gluten when fed to mice exposed to HFD and for the first-time report gluten-induced astro- and microgliosis suggesting the development of hypothalamic injury in rodents.
. Also note that if you have actual Celiac Disease, heritage grains are still dangerous.