Efficacy of a gluten-free diet in the Gilles de la Tourette syndrome: A pilot study

In this 2018 study, 29 patients with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome (GTS) were put on a gluten-free diet for 1 year to analyze the impact of this diet. Half of the adult participants and most of the children (around 74%) were male. All adult participants had associated obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) at baseline, while the same applied for 69% of the kids. Non-Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS), which has been linked with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, was common in both adult and child groups (headaches were reported by 47% of children and 83.6% of adults). Both groups showed improvements in several outcomes after consuming a gluten-free diet for one year. Specifically, there was a notable reduction in measures of tics, the intensity and frequency of OCD, as well as the patients’ quality of life. In conclusion, a gluten-free diet maintained for one year led to a significant reduction in tics and OCD in both adults and children with Gilles de la Tourette syndrome. [NPID: Gilles de la Tourette syndrome, Tourette syndrome, Tourette’s, gluten-free, gluten, gluten free, diet, gluten sensitivity, non-coeliac, OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder]

Year: 2018

Reference: Rodrigo, L., Álvarez, N., Fernández-Bustillo, E., Salas-Puig, J., Huerta, M., & Hernández-Lahoz, C. (2018). Efficacy of a Gluten-Free Diet in the Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome: A Pilot Study. Nutrients, 10(5), 573. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu10050573

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