CAN ANTIBIOTICS CAUSE DEPRESSION?
courtesy : morehealth
The human body is a symphony of its interactive parts. Take the balance out of one of the parts and that melody can turn to a screeching sound.
Although the interactions of different parts of the organism has always been known, it appears that even subtle changes in one part of the body can wreak havoc in other parts, even if the connection seems unlikely.
Now it seems that the health of one's gut, i.e. the balance in the intestinal flora and the level of inflammation, plays an important role, on the human psyche.
Illness of course, can throw the balance of one's gut quickly off the edge. But another culprit seems to be the use of antibiotics.
A study of mice injected with antibiotics showed that their behavior post-injection became anxious and more strangely, less cautious, as if some part of their brain was not working properly. Further inquiry on that behaviour showed that the use of antibiotics also increased 'brain derived neurotrophic factor'. If that sound ominous, it should. The factor is linked to both depression and anxiety.
To further understand the impact of the bad bacteria created by the antibiotic injection in the first group of mice, the bacteria in the gut of the affected mice was then injected in healthy mice, who in turn started to exhibit erratic or abnormal behavior.
The changes were not permanent, and the mice returned to normal when the antibiotics were discontinued.
Although such tests have not been done in humans, the research poses interesting questions on what impact antibiotic therapy has in humans.
More interestingly, since humans are also exposed to antibiotics in the food chain, would be a study to explore how does the continued exposure to antibiotic affect humans and at what different levels.
Adapted from Source article
Source: Natural Society 2.12.13
Although the interactions of different parts of the organism has always been known, it appears that even subtle changes in one part of the body can wreak havoc in other parts, even if the connection seems unlikely.
Now it seems that the health of one's gut, i.e. the balance in the intestinal flora and the level of inflammation, plays an important role, on the human psyche.
Illness of course, can throw the balance of one's gut quickly off the edge. But another culprit seems to be the use of antibiotics.
A study of mice injected with antibiotics showed that their behavior post-injection became anxious and more strangely, less cautious, as if some part of their brain was not working properly. Further inquiry on that behaviour showed that the use of antibiotics also increased 'brain derived neurotrophic factor'. If that sound ominous, it should. The factor is linked to both depression and anxiety.
To further understand the impact of the bad bacteria created by the antibiotic injection in the first group of mice, the bacteria in the gut of the affected mice was then injected in healthy mice, who in turn started to exhibit erratic or abnormal behavior.
The changes were not permanent, and the mice returned to normal when the antibiotics were discontinued.
Although such tests have not been done in humans, the research poses interesting questions on what impact antibiotic therapy has in humans.
More interestingly, since humans are also exposed to antibiotics in the food chain, would be a study to explore how does the continued exposure to antibiotic affect humans and at what different levels.
Adapted from Source article
Source: Natural Society 2.12.13
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