Health Hotline Magazine | August 2025

Inflammation as a Preface to Mood Disorders A significant number of people with mood disorders like anxiety and depression have been shown to have elevated levels of inflammatory markers throughout their bodies and in their cerebrospinal fluid. In depressive patients, inflammatory cytokines in the cerebrospinal fluid are correlated with the severity of their depression. Researchers are still figuring out exactly what triggers the inflammation in mental health disorders, but one theory is that chronic stress and early life stress and trauma—which many people report experiencing before they develop a mood disorder—prompts an immune response that increases both systemic and neuroinflammation via inflammatory immune cells and cytokines. Other sources of inflammation can include poor sleep quality, a high body mass index (BMI), and a poor diet.

Inflammation has a detrimental e ect on the brain and can change both its structure and how it functions, with some research reporting that anxiety symptoms “represent brain alterations caused by neuro-inflammation.” Studies using neuroimaging have found that inflammation negatively impacts regions of the brain, like the basal ganglia, that play a crucial role in emotional regulation and reward processing, as well as “anxiety related” regions like the amygdala, which has the important job of processing and regulating emotions, particularly fear, anxiety, and aggression. Neurotransmitter systems are also negatively a ected by inflammation. For example, studies have found that inflammation a ects our pleasure and reward centers and the neurotransmitter dopamine, leading to reduced motivation and fatigue. All of these inflammation-driven changes in the brain can lead to behavioral changes. Cool, Calm, and Collected: Taming the Flames of Inflammation

The evidence that inflammation plays a major role in mental health disorders is clear, so the question remains, how do you put out the fire? Fortunately, there is an arsenal of lifestyle and dietary strategies that can fairly easily be implemented to reign in inflammation, including regular physical activity; stress-reducing practices like yoga, tai chi, sauna, and meditation; good sleep hygiene that promotes quality sleep; changes to your diet, specifically replacing ultra-processed foods with anti-inflammatory foods; and dietary supplements, such as the omega-3 fats.

Ditch the ultra-processed food and embrace an anti-inf ammatory diet What we eat matters for every aspect of our health, especially mental health. An analysis of 21 studies published in Psychiatry Research concluded that a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, fish, olive oil, dairy, and antioxidants was associated with a decreased risk of depression, while a diet high in processed meat, refined grains, sweets, and low intakes of fruit and vegetables was associated with an increased risk of depression. In fact, one study found that people who ate a lot of ultra-processed food were 51 percent more likely to develop depression compared to those who rarely ate it; the study specifically mentioned fast food like hamburgers and pizza and processed pastries like mu ns, doughnuts, and croissants. Studies that have compared traditional diets, such as the Mediterranean diet or traditional Japanese diet, to the standard American diet (high in ultra-processed ingredients like sugar, seed oils, and refined flours) have found that the risk of depression is 25 to 35 percent lower in people who eat a more traditional diet. Research investigating fruit and vegetable intake and depression risk has consistently found that lower intakes are related to a higher risk of depression. Though it hasn’t been studied as extensively, research has shown similar results when looking at diet and anxiety. When you look at the types of diets that support good mental health, they are full of anti-inflammatory foods like vegetables and fruit and healthy fats. These foods are rich in micronutrients, antioxidants, and other phytonutrients that e ectively reduce inflammation—make them a priority. And because pesticides have shown to increase neuroinflammation, be sure to choose organically grown produce!

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