Let’s set the scene. I’m standing in my kitchen like a cocky little gluten – free queen, thinking “Maybe I can try it again. Just this once.” A soft, warm, perfectly golden slice of sourdough was calling to me. Seducing me, even. And in that moment, I did what all great health experiments start with:
I said “Screw it. Let’s see what happens.”
And just like that… i found myself in a casual spiral into darkness. This has happened before, but not this bad. I know, I should have known better, but I’m stubborn AF okay?
I’m talking full-blown emotional nosedive. I was overwhelmed with sadness for no apparent reason. Not the kind where you cry during a rom-com and text your ex. The kind that grabs you by the ankles and drags you into a foggy pit of hopelessness, fast and hard. It was like PMS met an existential crisis and brought a migraine to the party.
As if the emotional crash wasn’t enough, let’s not forget the other symptoms:
- Headache from hell? ✔️
- Stomach doing Olympic flips? ✔️
- Vomiting like I just ate gas station sushi? ✔️
It lasted about 5 hours. Which, in “I feel like my body and brain are imploding” time, is an eternity.
And then? It was gone.
Like a weird little storm blew through my mind and body, trashed the place, and then bounced.
Still reeling from the experience,, I did what any rational human would do after violently sobbing into their pillow while clutching a heating pad:
I Googled it.
Gluten and Mental Health: The Plot Thickens
After some digging, I discovered something even more validating: I’m not the only one who’s lost their damn mind over a muffin.
There are actual studies—real, peer-reviewed, big-brain stuff—that link gluten sensitivity to mental health symptoms like depression, anxiety, irritability, brain fog, and even psychosis in extreme cases. We’re talking mood disorders, schizophrenia, bipolar-like episodes… all showing improvement or resolution when gluten was removed.
In one study, patients with severe psychiatric symptoms saw massive improvements after adopting a gluten-free diet—even when they didn’t test positive for celiac disease. That’s right: no classic gut symptoms, no autoimmune diagnosis, just a brain that went haywire from bread. And when they ditched gluten? Night. And. Day.
Let that sink in.
We’ve been out here trying to “think positive” and “meditate the sadness away,” while some of us are just one sandwich away from a mental health emergency.
But… Why Is This Happening?
The science points to a few culprits:
- Leaky gut caused by gluten, leading to systemic inflammation and brain-based symptoms.
- Immune reactions (not just celiac) that mess with neurotransmitters.
- Disruption of the gut-brain axis—AKA your second brain (your gut) flipping out and sending panic signals upstairs.
Also? American wheat is not the same as European wheat. We’ve got glyphosate, hybrid strains, and food additives out here like it’s a game of chemical roulette. It’s not just “gluten”—it’s the toxic cocktail that comes with it.
So What Now?
If you’re experiencing unexplained mood swings, depressive episodes, rage-y outbursts, or mental exhaustion that makes no damn sense… consider this your permission slip to explore gluten as a possible trigger.
(Quick disclaimer: Please don’t play scientist with your mental health. I have both a therapist and medical provider on speed dial for when I pull stunts like this, and I highly recommend working with a professional. In other words—do NOT try this at home!)
I’m not saying this is the magic solution for everyone. But I am saying that if food can wreck your gut, it can definitely mess with your brain.
I learned the hard way (again) that gluten and I are not friends.
We’re not even frenemies.
We’re full-blown toxic exes who need to stay far, far away from each other.
Long story short, if you ever catch me side-eyeing a bread basket again, kindly slap it out of my hand and remind me:
You cried over nothing for two hours because of that tasty sandwich you just HAD TO HAVE. Don’t do it, girl.
Want to see what your brain feels like without gluten? My Eat Clean 21 detox gives you the blueprint. Clean recipes, no gluten, no guesswork—just clarity. Grab the book here.
👉 Want more gut-brain goodness and real talk on feeling your best? Check out all my wellness tips here.
Wanna nerd out like I did? Here are the studies I dug up during my post-gluten meltdown…
Louis-Jean, S., & Chaudhry, S. (2023). “Recurrent Psychosis in Non-celiac Gluten Sensitivity.” Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives, 13(3), 59–61.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10593161/
Lionetti, E., et al. (2015). “Gluten Psychosis: Confirmation of a New Clinical Entity.” Nutrients, 7(7), 5532–5539.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4516974/
Genuis, S.J., & Lobo, R.A. (2014). “Gluten Sensitivity Presenting as a Neuropsychiatric Disorder.” Gastroenterology Research and Practice, 2014, 293206.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4017095/
Porcelli, B., et al. (2014). “Celiac and Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: A Review on the Association with Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders.” Autoimmunity Highlights, 5(2), 55–61.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4232561/
Carabotti, M., et al. (2015). “The Gut-Brain Axis: Interactions Between Enteric Microbiota, Central and Enteric Nervous Systems.” Annals of Gastroenterology, 28(2), 203–209.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4367209/