Posted by Laurie Beth on October 4, 2005, at 14:37:58
In reply to Re: exorphins from grains and milk, posted by Larry Hoover on July 4, 2003, at 19:43:42
I have wondering for about this for almost a year. As a child, I had what in retrospect seems like an addiction to foods with gluten, casein (a protein in milk), and sugar, so much so that I ended up developing very selective eating habits. This recently led me to do my own research and I found that autism is linked with such selective eating habits, and that there are those who think that some forms of autism are actually caused by the excess opiates coming from incomplete breakdown of gluten and casein flooding the quickly growing brain of a 1-year-old child. Although I'm not autistic or schizophrenic, I have a history of dysthymia and at least 2 MDEs, so I can't help but wonder....
I've tried a casein-free, gluten-free diet for several days in a row (which is difficult, because these are major sources of protein for me), and while I probably felt more clear-headed and less sleepy, I was not happy ... if anything, just spent more energy craving all the foods I couldn't have. This, then, makes me wonder: if I'm actually addicted to these exorphins, is there a reason I'm addicted? Was I "self-medicating" with these foods? (And, for that matter, even if I wasn't initially self-medicating, I'm sure I was given these foods as a baby and young child ... what happens to a brain that's exposed to (presumably very low levels of) these exorphins throughout childhood, and is there any way to recover?)
And, on top of that, apparently the gluten source opioids stay in the body for up to 8 months (measured in urine 8 months after a child goes completely gluten-free) or even more for an adult. No way I kind stay on this kind of diet for 8 months, just to see if maybe I'd come out happy in the end.
Anyway, finally to my question:
My understanding is that casomorphins, at least, may be partially blocked by opioid antagonists. Could this be a reason that naltrexone seems to help with the depression of some?
poster:Laurie Beth
thread:237849
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051003/msgs/562777.html