As many members of the yum. Gluten Free community would know, the anxiety and stress that accompanies a gluten-free diet can negatively affect individual wellbeing. The symptoms of gluten sensitivity are not limited to physical manifestations, with studies indicating that managing gluten sensitivity is also linked to psychiatric and neurological conditions, both due to the immune responses triggered by gluten, and due to the stress that is implicit with gluten-free dieting.

With obstacles to gluten-free diet compliance including improperly labelled foods, cross-contamination and language barriers, inadvertent gluten ingestion is a scenario that is familiar to everyone on the spectrum of gluten sensitivity. It has therefore been suggested that the use of an enzyme supplement, such as GluteGuard, in conjunction with a gluten-free diet, could contribute to the more effective management of the neurological symptoms associated with gluten sensitivity.

Data suggests that up to 22% of patients with severe gluten intolerance develop neurologic or psychiatric dysfunction, the most common of which are anxiety and depression. Anxiety is considered to be a reaction to stress; when this reaction becomes excessive or irrational, it can affect individual wellbeing and cause people to be ‘consumed with fearfulness, worry and uncertainty’. According to BeyondBlue, anxiety is the most common mental health condition in Australia. Common symptoms include:

• Panic attacks
• Hot and cold flushes
• Racing heart
• Tightening of the chest
• Excessive fear or worry
• Avoidance of situations that make you feel anxious, which can impact on study, work, or social life

Individuals with severe levels of gluten sensitivity often report symptoms of anxiety or depression both before excluding gluten from their diets. These feelings can be attributed to ongoing gastrointestinal issues, fatigue and nutritional deficiencies, and can continue after the introduction of a gluten-free diet.

The psychological and emotional toll that gluten anxiety can take on individuals can be overwhelming; the vigilance required to risks such as cross-contamination can lead to phobias of eating out or travelling. It was demonstrated by a 2016 study that 91% of gluten-sensitive participants experienced gluten exposure at least once per month, with over half being unaware they had consumed gluten until they experienced symptoms. As stated by Yum Gluten-free’s own Olivia Jackson,  ‘I struggled for years with crippling anxiety around eating any food that was not directly prepared by me, which then fed into other areas of my life. It was damaging to my relationships, my health and my confidence’

It is for this reason that having GluteGuard as a helpful adjunct to a gluten-free diet has been so life changing for so many people. By utilising the enzyme called Caricain, GluteGuard targets the immunogenic peptides within gluten, helping to prevent inadvertently ingested gluten from triggering the symptoms of gluten sensitivity in this way reducing feelings of gluten anxiety! The following testimonials highlight the negative influence of gluten-anxiety on individual wellbeing, and the improvement people feel in their mental health once they incorporate GluteGuard into their dietary routine:

‘Thank-you for making my life so much healthier- the stress of choosing where to eat when traveling for work and social reasons is so much more manageable now. I don’t need to worry about every breadcrumb or contaminated fryer being used’– Wendy, USA.

‘GluteGuard has been amazing in turning around how I travel, dine out and socialise. I used to travel a lot but after diagnosis it was just too worrying even though I did all the research and safeguards, I would get sick from cross-contamination. Now I don’t worry about this anymore, I have done trips and taken all the usual precautions with a GluteGuard for each meal and been fine. I also use GluteGuard when dining out or if going to the pub with friends, just in case beer gets dripped into my drink or was on the server’s hand etc. GluteGuard has really changed how I feel about going out and I’m back to my old self!’

 – Sandy, AUS.

‘I’m extremely happy to have found GluteGuard. I’m a food and travel freelance writer, so being diagnosed with gluten-intolerance was downright inconvenient! Now with GluteGuard I can still eat at my favourite restaurants around the world- requesting GF options of course- plus being adventurous in trying various ethnic dishes without having the usual angst of cross-contamination (especially when eating out in a large group. One can eat the most healthy dishes in the world, but if you eat under stress, this will do your digestion system no good. Thank you for this product so that I can feel “normal” again, having fun eating out with friends and during my travels!’– Laurinda, New Zealand.

‘This is my first bottle of GluteGuard. I have two tablets in my handbag always and take one before eating when I am out. Results so far are excellent in dealing with mild discomfort if there is cross contamination’. Margaret AUS

If you would like to purchase GluteGuard, it is available worldwide and exclusively at www.glutagen.com. For further information, check out their website or send your questions and comments to info@glutagen.com.

REFERENCES

Jackson, J, Eaton, W, Cascella, N, Fasano, A, Kelly, D 2012, ‘Neurological and Psychiatric Manifestations of Coeliac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity’, Psychiatric Quarterly, 83(1), pp.91-102.

Addolorato, G, Mirijello, A, D’Angelo, C, Leggio, L, Ferrulli, A, Vonghia, L, Cardone, S, Leso, V, Miceli, A, Gasbarrini, G 2008, ‘Social Phobia in Coeliac Disease’, Scand J Gastroenterol, 43(4), pp.410-415.

https://www.beyondceliac.org/celiac-disease/related-conditions/anxiety/

http://www.anxietysocialnet.com/anxiety-blog/item/1685-the-relationship-between-celiacs-disease-and-anxiety