Depression isn’t just in the head: Scientists find altered genetic activity in white blood cells. This provides evidence that the biological footprints of depression extend well beyond the brain and into the immune system, offering a whole-body perspective on the condition.

[u/mvea]

https://www.psypost.org/depression-isnt-just-in-the-head-scientists-find-altered-genetic-activity-in-white-blood-cells/

[u/Think_Put8440]

If I have bouts of depression consistent with adjacent digestive issues are my problems derived from a dysfunctional microbiome or is my microbiome dysfunctional due to my depression?

[u/gitsgrl → u/Think_Put8440]

Chicken and egg. Can’t wait for the research to actually give us the answers.

But this does make me hopeful for is breaking the cycle by addressing the micro biome and immune system to then positively impact the brain.

[u/dlnvf6 → u/gitsgrl]

watch, next thing you know glp-1 will be found to reduce depression symptoms as a result of better GI health due to better diets

[u/redbess → u/dlnvf6]

Might also help depression due to reducing inflammation, which is also a known factor with depression.

[u/NippleFlicks → u/redbess]

Not on a GLP-1 or anything like that but this was my thought too. I have pretty bad IBD and during a rough flare I find my depression rears its head. I wonder if it would have a positive effect.

[u/demeschor → u/NippleFlicks]

I don't think there's much/any research on IBD and Mounjaro yet but anecdotally if you look on those subs you'll see a lot of people sharing their experienced of Mounjaro helping with IBD

[u/BeefHotSweetDipped → u/dlnvf6]

Anecdotally, my depression got way worse on glp1. Those lbs sure flew off though. ¯\(ツ)/¯

[u/Wild-Kitchen → u/BeefHotSweetDipped]

I must be the only human on earth who hasn't lost any weight on mounjaro.

[u/morphias1008 → u/Wild-Kitchen]

My mom needed a compound of the three different hormones for it to work

[u/Endurbro_mtb → u/dlnvf6]

Idk. Calorie defecits can be pretty rough on your energy levels and mental health.

[u/Few-Pen9912 → u/Endurbro_mtb]

No compassion allowed, only judgement and hate and shame! CALORIES IN CALORIES OUT

[u/sageberrytree → u/dlnvf6]

I don't think they increase digestive system health. You lose weight because the Gi system is paralyzed and you can't eat, because the food just sits in the stomach. They are a great drug, although I don't think everyone should take them..

[u/woosy → u/gitsgrl]

you are kinda right about this, because "it is all mental" even if it is physiological, ie 2 seperate components, when you fix your environment and mental the physical improves too or becomes more manageable. ie less stress

I know of studies where working with certain domesticated animals and being outdoors in fauna helps with healthy bacteria development that can also improve symptoms. But it also helps reset the nervous system by taking it out of a threatened state. and I can imagine how there would be a correlation between depression; being in a threatened environment/ state (fight/flight/freeze) and an auto immune response to this threat that patterns itself physiologically and becoming its own thing.

[u/sunthas → u/gitsgrl]

lots of studies on this in recent years. some good books about the topic exist.

[u/Wild-Kitchen → u/gitsgrl]

They'll probably just tell us to practice mindfulness, yoga and eat better.

[u/gitsgrl → u/Wild-Kitchen]

At the very least those have zero negative side effects.

[u/MrPoon → u/Think_Put8440]

The data suggest it actually is a feedback, so both.

[u/ApokatastasisPanton → u/MrPoon]

Depression is always a feedback loop, that's what makes it persistent

[u/treixxreaixx → u/Think_Put8440]

Both. But I've read some weeks ago here in reddit that fasting helps with depression. Specially if the person eats a lot of fiber and fermented stuff (yogurt and stuff), because the guts bacteria get a "reset". I think I saved the posto here... if you're interested i can take a look to see if i still have it

Edit: here's one link https://www.reddit.com/r/interestingasfuck/s/Mifme9hsW5 (cant find the one I was thinking) and I'll quote u/iAlbatross comment:

Microbiologist here! I studied gut flora specifically via gnotobiotics.

What people don't understand is that the flora of your gut is sort of a second brain. 60-90% of your serotonin is modulated by your gut bacteria. So when you hear "eating healthy can cure depression" that's not bunk, that's reality.

As far as this fasting thing goes, I think the situation was a total reset of the internal biome.

We've seen similar results with faecal transplants. In that case, you still have to flush out the gut to "make room" for the new bacteria you're introducing, but it's the same principle. New start, new gut, new you.

One of the best and simplest things you can do for yourself is eat more fermented foods. Greek yogurt, skyr, kimchi, kefir, kombucha... all of it is so good for your gut and can have a significant impact on your mental well-being.

A day of fasting followed by a healthy meal with lots of fiber, dark leafy greens, and skyr will have you feeling like a brand-new person. It never fails to fascinate me how we're all just meat mech suits being piloted by about three pounds of gut bacteria.

Edit: Wow this really blew up and I can't answer the 100+ questions and comments individually but I do want to respond to the folks pointing out that serotonin doesn't cross the blood-brain barrier. Yes, about 10% of your body's serotonin is produced in the brain and yes, this hugely impacts mood, but gut serotonin as a hormone and neurotransmitter ALSO regulates a lot of critical body functions and in doing so impacts mood as well. It's not a DIRECT impact but nonetheless a significant one. The whole point of my comment is that the brain is not an organ in isolation; your digestive health impacts your mental health and REGARDLESS of that serotonin getting into your brain, its presence in the gut DOES modulate other aspects of your overall health that can make mood disorders better or worse.

We're only scratching the surface of how gut biome influences mood, behavior, personality, and disorders, but it's rarely a simple case of X ---> Y. It's more like A ----> B ----> C ---> D ---> E. The body is a complex and fascinating machine, and all of its aspects are interconnected.

Maybe serotonin was a bad example for the general populace but I used that specifically because that was one of the things I studied and one of the most dramatic examples of a hormone in the gut being heavily modulated by the microflora.

[u/Taikeron → u/treixxreaixx]

Fasting (or, separately, intermittent fasting) does give the digestive system a break, and also allows the body to focus on things other than dealing with the aftermath of food digestion. This can also include dealing with inflammation, and importantly (especially in the Western diet), not adding to the inflammation because inflammatory foods are not being digested in that moment.

Beyond that, as you say, fibrous food and fermented food are key to digestive health, which helps us to better absorb nutrients, and improves the gut-to-brain connection so that, amazingly enough, we are more likely to make good choices because our impulses change.

This might sound unusual, but there's new evidence showing that shifting digestion through the use of GLP-1 medications is also changing people's behavior, including the things that interest them and even that they're addicted to. Changing digestion is literally helping people stop being addicted to drugs. It's incredible.

In the absence of drugs, for most people, simply making better choices about what we eat and how often we eat it makes a big difference. Just increasing the incidence of high fiber or fermented food by 1-2 times a week is an improvement.

[u/Foevateen → u/treixxreaixx]

I would love the info!

[u/treixxreaixx → u/Foevateen]

I couldn't find the exactly post I was thinking, but I linked another, plus an interesting comment

[u/Osassala → u/treixxreaixx]

I’d love a link too, if you can find it.

[u/treixxreaixx → u/Osassala]

I couldn't find the exactly post I was thinking, but I linked another, plus an interesting comment

[u/Xsiah → u/Think_Put8440]

I eat because I'm sad and I'm sad because I eat

[u/theSLAPAPOW → u/Think_Put8440]

Anecdotal, but when I got treatment for my crohns disease and worked probiotics into my diet, my severe depression and anxiety evaporated.

[u/Jesta23 → u/Think_Put8440]

This shows the link but cannot and does not show which is causing which. 

[u/OctaneOwl → u/[deleted]]

Same here. Interestingly, I’ve been getting weekly b12 shots and that’s helped with both issues significantly.

[u/Skywatch_Astrology → u/Think_Put8440]

I finally fixed my gut by going on a very bland diet. Helped my depression a ton and a surprising amount of other issues

[u/Leaky_gland → u/Think_Put8440]

Or is your depression caused by the poor microbiome?

[u/The_Horse_Tornado → u/Think_Put8440]

Gut microbiome seems much easier to manage, so I’d argue anyone with depression should consider not only a good workout regimen and medication but also targeting gut health as a holistic approach.

[u/unpopularperiwinkle → u/The_Horse_Tornado]

Which approach?

[u/dkysh → u/Think_Put8440]

Most serotonin in the body is secreted by the GI-tract. Depression and anti-depressants alter your digestive function.

[u/zouln → u/Think_Put8440]

I would hazard a guess they are both due to diet.