Special Protein In Wheat Spurs Brain Inflammation: Study

News Desk

Islamabad: A unique new study has found that gluten, a special protein found in wheat, can potentially increase blood sugar levels in the human brain, along with inflammation.

According to research published in the medical Journal of Neuroendocrinology, New Zealand experts investigated the effect of a protein called gluten on human health, especially on the brain and nervous system.

Gluten is a special invisible protein or component that is present in wheat and this protein is found in all foods made from wheat, including bread.

Humans also consume gluten while eating foods made from wheat and every human needs a certain amount of it for good health, but increasing its amount can lead to certain medical problems.

During the research, the experts divided the male rats into two different groups; one group was given plain food, while the other group was given food with an added amount of gluten.

The experts fed the male mice for about 15 weeks, and the health and size of the mice were monitored before and during the study.

At the end of the study, the experts re-examined all the mice and looked at their size which revealed surprising results. The results showed that mice fed foods containing gluten protein showed inflammation in their brains, while acidity was also seen in their digestive system, including their nerves.

Mice with high consumption of gluten protein also gained weight and their blood sugar levels also increased.

The research showed that gluten added to a low- or high-fat diet triggered inflammation in the brain’s hypothalamic region which regulates metabolism.

Lead Author Dr Alexander Tups said that the addition of gluten to either diet “led to a marked increase in the number of microglia and astrocytes in the arcuate nucleus (ARC) of the hypothalamus, a key brain region for metabolic control”.

Experts said that the brain, nervous system and digestive systems of mice and humans are almost the same so it is possible that high consumption of gluten by humans can increase inflammation in the brain.

According to experts, the gluten works to over-activate certain proteins found in the human brain and body which can cause health problems.

Emphasizing the need for more research on the above issue, experts said that the use of gluten should be widely reviewed.