Posted by Larry Hoover on April 11, 2009, at 16:48:10
In reply to gluten-free for schizophrenia-free? And bipolar?, posted by jjjaspar on April 9, 2009, at 16:35:11
The proteins gluten and casein (and others in wheat and milk) contain amino acid sequences that can yield opiate-active protein fragments under partial digestion (gluten exorphins, and casomorphins). As a class, they're called exorphins. (Sometimes spelled with an extra e, as exorphine.) There is also an exorphin that arises from digestion of deep green leaves, e.g. spinach (rubiscolin, from the enzyme ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase, RuBisCO).
The tendency to produce these fragments is probably under genetic control, as is the sensitivity of the body to them. I have no doubt that some cases of mental illness are a direct result of exorphins.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:889680
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20090410/msgs/889994.html