The immune system can be seen as the meeting point for environmental and inherited risks and much of our work is looking at the overlap between autoimmune illnesses and mental health. Autoimmune diseases, including gluten allergies and diabetes are more prevalent in patients with schizophrenia and their family members than in the rest of the population (Eaton et al., 2006). Increased levels of gluten antibodies in blood have been seen in a large proportion of patients with schizophrenia. We believe that the immune system may play an important role in the relationship between gluten ingestion and schizophrenia. This is because gluten antibodies react not only to gluten itself but also to some proteins produced in our body. However it does not mean everyone requires a gluten-free diet.

Whether or not gluten affects our body is thought to depend on two major issues, the gut condition and the genetic make up, i.e. genetic variation. If the gut is in a good condition, it will not allow the passage of gluten. Even if gluten does enter the body due to a change of gut barrier permeability, it will not necessarily cause a problem. Individual genetic make-up will determine if gluten will cause a problem. We are currently researching into how these traits interact.

The incidence of Type 2 diabetes is up to 4-fold higher in schizophrenic patients than in the general population, and is also higher in first degree relatives. Antipsychotic drugs may act just like an environmental factor, which when combined with a genetic risk background result in type 2 diabetes. As for gluten in your diet, this does not mean you should modify your medication; please consult your doctor if you have any questions.