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With more and more coming out in research about gluten intolerance, awareness continues to spread about the different manifestations of eating this detrimental protein.

Studies on Leaky Brain -

Gluten sensitivity research identifies a connection between gluten induced leaky gut, and leaky brain. The ramifications of these findings are important to understand the broad scope of the impact gluten has in many diseases.
We were able to identify an intestinal Zot analogue, which we named zonulin. It is conceivable that the zonulins participate in the physiological regulation of intercellular tj not only in the small intestine, but also throughout a wide range of extraintestinal epithelia as well as the ubiquitous vascular endothelium, including the blood-brain barrier. Disregulation of this hypothetical zonulin model may contribute to disease states that involve disordered intercellular communication, including developmental and intestinal disorders, tissue inflammation, malignant transformation, and metastasis.
Sources:

J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2010 Oct;51(4):418-24.

Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2000;915:214-22.

Gluten Damage is Under Recognized By Doctors

Most people (doctors included) connect gluten with intestinal symptoms and therefore, fail to understand the far reaching effects that gluten can have on different individuals. The discovery of the protein zonulin has identified yet another way that gluten can create problems for those ingesting it. It is thought that zonulin disrupts the epithelial barriers (such as found in the gut, brain, kidney, blood vessels, etc).

The disruption of the blood brain barrier could lead to a battery of different neurological and mental symptoms as this barrier is designed to keep toxic compounds out of the brain's blood supply. We have already linked gluten induced damage to a multitude of neurological problems including: If you or anyone you love suffers with any of the above, they may be gluten sensitive and they may have "Leaky BRAIN Syndrome".

Dr. Fasano Discovered These "Leaks"

I recently had the pleasure of speaking with one of the leading researchers on this topic, Dr. Fasano, from the University of Maryland. You can hear what he had to say about leaky gut and leaky brain below: