We all live under the assumption that depression & other mental conditions are caused by chemical imbalances in our brain. This has been perpetuated by big pharma companies to make sure that sale of antidepressant drugs is skyrocketed. The Antidepressant market in the US alone is $ 10 billion.
So is depression a disease in itself or a symptom of an underlying medical condition? The Immune Cytokine model of depression says that depression is not a disease but a sign of chronic immune system activation.
Depression is deeply associated with chronic inflammation & is often accompanied by increased oxidative stress. During an inflammatory response, chemicals called cytokines are produced. These inflammatory cytokines produce various psychiatric & neurological symptoms that mirror the characteristics of depression.
Antidepressants are said to reduce production of pro-inflammatory cytokines. They also change gene expression of certain immune cells that are involved in inflammatory responses. This suggests that antidepressants are anti-inflammatory which explains their mechanism of action if inflammation is the reason for depression.
Through my earlier blogs, I have time & again focussed on the fact that inflammation is the reason for a lot of lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, thyroid, cardiovascular diseases, autoimmune disease, allergies & asthma. Besides, depression is also caused by inflammation. I am going to discuss this in the following paragraphs:
- Diet: Modern diet is the major cause of inflammation. Our today’s diet is high in sugar, preservatives, refined flour, processed foods, trans fats & various other chemicals. Besides, such diets are low in foods that reduce inflammation like omega 3 fatty acids, fermented foods & fibre. Modern diet is said to be associated with depression.
- Obesity: Obesity is one the most harmful effects of inflammation. People suffering from Obesity are said to have high levels of inflammatory cytokines. Besides, obesity is closely linked with depressive disorder.
- Gut Health: Leaky Gut contributes to inflammation as well as correlates with depression. Leaky gut allows endotoxin called lipopolysaccharide to escape the gut & enter the bloodstream. This releases inflammatory cytokines resulting in harmful bacteria inhabiting our gut with depressive disorder.
- Stress: Stress is one of the most prominent causes of depression. Besides, stress is linked with inflammation. Psychological stress is said to stimulate pro-inflammatory hormones & increases cytokine. These are closely associated with depression.
- Sleep loss: Chronic sleep loss is said to increase inflammatory response among people who otherwise are healthy. Permanent sleep loss is said to play an important role in developing depression.
- Chronic infection: Chronic infections produce ongoing inflammation which again has a contributing effect on depression which is associated with various pathogens.
- Vitamin D deficiency: Vitamin D deficiency specifically in western countries are said to modulate immune responses to infection, including reducing inflammatory markers contributing to depression.
