Depression Begins in the Gut?

Recent studies have revealed that inflammation, amount other factors, may be involved in the pathogenesis of depression. 

Current research suggests depression is frequently associated with gastrointestinal inflammation and autoimmune disease, in which chronic low-grade inflammation is a significant contributing factor.

For this reason, depression may be a neuropsychiatric manifestation of a chronic inflammatory syndrome. 

Treating gastrointestinal inflammation with probiotics, vitamin D, B vitamins and omega-3s may have a flow-on effect of attenuating pro-inflammatory stimuli to the brain and thus improve depression symptoms and quality of life.

These finding, according to the researchers, justify an assumption that treating gastrointestinal inflammation may improve the efficacy of current treatments for depression and related disorders.