Is it true that … mental health is affected by inflammation?
Recent studies suggest a potential link between inflammation and mental health conditions like depression and anxiety. While anti-inflammatory drugs have shown promise in improving mood, scientists caution that more research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms.
Why it matters
Understanding the immune system's role in mental health could lead to entirely new therapeutic approaches for treating psychiatric disorders.
Is it true that … Life and style Is it true that … mental health is affected by inflammation? Studies have found that anti-inflammatory drugs can improve your mood. But what does that mean for conditions such as depression and anxiety?
Prefer the Guardian on Google I nflammation is the immune system’s response to injury or infection. If you cut yourself and the area becomes red and swollen, that’s inflammation: immune cells are rushing to fight germs and repair tissue.
But inflammation can also occur in the body during illnesses, and a low level of inflammation can arise from obesity or ageing. “A marker of that inflammation tends to be elevated cytokines in people’s blood,” says Prof Daniel M Davis, head of life sciences at Imperial College London and author of Immune Health: A Myth-Busting Guide . “They’re the molecules immune cells use to communicate with each other.”
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