MENTAL PROBLEMS OF FOOD INTOLERANCE: ROSEMARY
Rosemary was 67 and lived alone. From time to time she suffered from bouts of depression as she had done for many years. At one stage, in her early fifties, the depression had been so bad that she had been admitted to hospital. But this was not her reason for seeking medical help now. She suffered from diarrhoea with pain and bloating, which had been diagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome. Her doctor had told her that there was nothing he could do for this problem, so she decided on private treatment from a doctor that a friend recommended. He put her on an elimination diet, and within two weeks her bowels were functioning normally, for the first time in many years. She also reported feeling much more cheerful, alert and confident than before, and the doctor assumed that this was an effect of losing her unpleasant bowel symptoms. What surprised them both was Rosemary’s reaction on retesting food. Milk taken at breakfast time produced itchy skin by lunchtime, and severe bloating and diarrhoea in the afternoon. A profound depression set in at the same time, despite the fact that she knew her bowel symptoms could now be controlled quite easily. The depression took two days to clear, but afterwards Rosemary felt as well as before, both mentally and physically. Two years later she is still very healthy on a milk-free diet, and no longer suffers from depression.
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