Destressing the Mind | Inflammation & Mental Health

Dear Readers,

It's been a while, but I hope you have been having a wonderful summer! I am back with a string of posts I hope you'll find helpful and interesting. If there's a topic you would like me to share points about, please DM me!

In this edition of Heal Thyself, I want to talk about mental health.

There are multiple voices in the sphere that will talk about all the root causes of mental disorders from trauma to your childhood and what not, but very few will point out some biological basis to this. The brain-gut axis, blood-brain barrier all have integral roles to play in maintaining a healthy mind. One of the biggest disrupters that is barely spoken about, is chronic stress and inflammation.

Inflammation is any complicated biological reaction to damaging stimuli like infections, damaged cells, or irritants. Even though the immune system needs inflammation to defend and repair the body, persistent inflammation can have negative consequences, especially for the brain.

Chronic inflammation is a major contributor to mental instability and neurological diseases, as seen by the growing body of studies connecting it to mental health disorders.

The Geeky Science:

The neuroimmune axis is a complex network that connects the immune system and the brain. Pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) are released by immune cells when inflammation occurs. These cytokines can impact brain function by passing across the blood-brain barrier. Increased concentrations of these cytokines in the brain have been linked to a number of neurological and psychiatric conditions, such as autism spectrum disorders, anxiety, schizophrenia, and depression.

Depression:

Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) have increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines. Chronic inflammation, especially in brain regions such as the hippocampus, which is critical for mood regulation, can impair neurotransmitter metabolism, neuronal plasticity, and neurogenesis. Systemic inflammation and depression symptoms are linked, as evidenced by the frequently higher levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) in depressed patients.

Anxiety:

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is a vital stress response system that is also impacted by chronic inflammation. Increased production of the stress hormone cortisol can result from inflammation-induced dysregulation of the HPA axis, which can exacerbate anxiety disorders. Neurotransmitters essential for controlling anxiety, such as serotonin and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), can also be further modulated by inflammatory cytokines.

Schizophrenia:

The brain's dopaminergic and glutamatergic systems, which are essential to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, can be impacted by elevated cytokine levels. Furthermore, inflammatory chemicals exposed during pregnancy may raise the chance of schizophrenia in later life.

Autism:

People with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) frequently have neuroinflammation. The main immune cells in the brain, called microglial cells, have the potential to become hyperactive and generate large amounts of inflammatory mediators, which can lead to the neurodevelopmental problems associated with autism.

How can this be solved?

As a functional nutritionist, my first principle is to correctly diagnose the root cause and tackle it through diet first, and lifestyle in supplication.

The key to controlling chronic inflammation is an anti-inflammatory diet. Diets high in whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats. Fatty fish is the food highest in omega-3 fatty acids that have strong anti-inflammatory properties. Refined carbs, sugar, and processed meals should all be avoided because they might worsen inflammation.

Inflammation and mental health are significantly influenced by the gut-brain axis. Unbalanced gut microbiota, or dysbiosis, can result in "leaky gut"—an elevated level of intestinal permeability that lets inflammatory chemicals enter the bloodstream and impact the brain. We will then attempt to reestablish a healthy gut microbiome.

The additional holistic methods include sleep optimization, physical exercise and tackling environmental toxins through an individual treatment plan because every body is different!

Thank you for reading! I hope you found this post helpful.

To work with me and know more about my services, visit my website here: shevauneuron.wordpress.com

In case you have any questions or doubts, feel free to DM me on LinkedIn!

Happy healing!

Regards,

Shevaun Pimenta | Functional Nutritionist

#functionalnutrition #diet #stress #mentalhealth #stress #inflammation

Research citations:

Matthews, J. Inflammation in Anxiety, ADHD, Autism, and Other Neurological Conditions: Nutrition to Calm the Nerves.

Malone, S. Gut Check 1: What You Don’t Know Could Be Hurting You.

Matthews, J. How Diet Affects the Gut and Microbiome in Mental Health: And How to Use Personalized Nutrition to Help.