Kalle Reichelt

Karl Ludvig Reichelt
Born(1933-11-28)28 November 1933
Died29 October 2016(2016-10-29) (aged 82)
EducationUniversity of Oslo
Known forAlternative medicine
Alternative therapies for developmental and learning disabilities
Gluten-free, casein-free diets
Opioid excess theory
AwardsKing's Medal of Merit
Scientific career
WorkplacesOslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet
ThesisAn investigation into the nature and function of anionic acids, peptides, and acid-soluble proteins from brain tissue (1972)

Karl Ludvig "Kalle" Reichelt (28 November 1933 – 29 October 2016) was a Norwegian medical researcher and alternative medicine practitioner. He was best known for the controversial and unproven claim that opioid peptides derived from casein and gluten were causally linked to various psychiatric disorders, as well as his suggestion that gluten-free, casein-free diets could be used to treat them.

Education

In 1972, Reichelt earned his medical doctorate from the University of Oslo. His thesis was titled, "An investigation into the nature and function of anionic acids, peptides, and acid-soluble proteins from brain tissue."

Career

Reichelt worked at the Pediatric Research Institute at what is now Oslo University Hospital, Rikshospitalet from 1972 to 2012. He was a senior researcher and advisor.

Reichelt received a gold King's Medal of Merit in 2004.

Alternative medicine

Reichelt's clinical research primarily focused on searching for a link between food and psychiatric disorders. He alleged that the reabsorption of improperly digested peptides (specifically casomorphins and gluten exorphins) had an opioid-like impact on the brain and could be causally linked to anorexia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, clinical depression, and schizophrenia. Reichelt also alleged urine tests could identify those not properly breaking down the peptides into amino acids and recommended gluten-free, casein-free diets as a treatment. However, Reichelt's findings were controversial, and his opioid excess theory has not been validated within mainstream medical circles.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Karl Ludvig Reichelt, MD, Ph.D. (1933-2016)". Council for Nutritional and Environmental Medicine. 2024-04-21. Retrieved 2026-07-21.
  2. ↑ Reichelt, Karl Ludvig (1972). "An investigation into the nature and function of anionic acids, peptides, and acid-soluble proteins from brain tissue". Ex Libris. Retrieved 2026-07-23.
  3. 1 2 "Nytt om navn". Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening (in Norwegian Bokmål). 2004-04-22. ISSN 0029-2001.
  4. 1 2 3 Sandell, Sandrina Elisabeth (2011-03-16). "Ruser seg på melk og brød". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  5. 1 2 Vassnes, Hanne Borgen (2008-01-14). "- Nytt liv uten melk og gluten". NRK (in Norwegian Bokmål). Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  6. ↑ Lázaro, Cristiane P.; Pondé, Milena P.; Rodrigues, Luiz E. A. (2016). "Opioid peptides and gastrointestinal symptoms in autism spectrum disorders". Revista Brasileira De Psiquiatria. 38 (3): 243–246. doi:10.1590/1516-4446-2015-1777. ISSN 1809-452X. PMC 7194264. PMID 27304256.
  7. ↑ Tarnowska, Katarzyna; Gruczyńska–Sękowska, Eliza; Kowalska, Dorota; Majewska, Ewa; Kozłowska, Mariola; Winkler, Renata (2023-07-26). "The opioid excess theory in autism spectrum disorders - is it worth investigating further?". Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 63 (19): 3980–3993. doi:10.1080/10408398.2021.1996329. ISSN 1040-8398.