At the same time taboo in the close entourage but put forward by the professionals, the depression touches many people. It is a disease that is difficult to detect and has various causes. Among the latter, there is a physical cause according to scientists: inflammation.
Different from blues or depression, depression is a disease that occurs in seizures and depressive periods. It is characterized by symptoms including profound sadness, loss of appetite, suicidal thoughts and tendencies, sleep disturbances, loss of motivation, low self-esteem, guilt, and a decrease or even absence of the feeling of pleasure. Depression can be illustrated by a major depressive episode or by a more serious form, chronic depression.
When it is detected, a treatment is then proposed to the patients. It is mainly based on psychotherapy and taking antidepressants. However, its effectiveness also lies in determining the real causes of the disease. The latter are multifactorial: family history, social environment, traumatic experiences or psychological disorders are all causes and risk factors for the onset of depression. Moreover, it seems that physical disorders are also responsible.
Inflammation, a cause of depression?
According to a scientific study conducted by Nils Kappelmann and Glyn Lewis, Departments of Psychiatry at the University of Cambridge and University of London (England), inflammation is involved in depression and depression could be treated with anti-inflammatory drugs and anti-cytokines.
Using previous research that demonstrated that people with depression were more prone to inflammation and had a higher rate of cytokines, that is, pro-inflammatory hormones produced by immune system ; scientists have studied the effect of autoimmune disease treatments on the symptoms of depression. They found that anti-inflammatory and anti-cytokine drugs had a positive outcome in the treatment of depression. Thus, the results showed a potentially causal role of cytokines, and hence inflammation, in depression. Therefore, anti-inflammatory and anti-cytokine drugs would be a possible alternative to antidepressants.
Antidepressants: dangers and natural alternatives
And this discovery is not insignificant insofar as, in addition to determining one of the causes of depression, it would make it possible to overcome the dangers of antidepressants and their overconsumption. Indeed, these are generally only suitable for certain people: those whose depression is explained by an imbalance of serotonin, also called the hormone of happiness, in the brain. However, it seems that antidepressants are prescribed without a thorough research on the eligibility of the patient.
Similarly, antidepressant tolerance depends on everyone. Significant side effects such as headache, nausea, behavioral disturbances, libido disturbances, tremors, diarrhea, acting out, and dependence have been noted in some patients, particularly in children and adults. adolescents and patients who do not require antidepressants. This is the finding made by several experts including Christophe André, psychiatrist and author of pers books on the subject including My anti-depression program.
However, and as the previous study shows, research is regularly done and natural alternatives are potentially effective in treating depression. Among them, we find the use of saffron according to a study conducted by Shahin Akhondazeh of the Psychiatric Research Institute of Tehran (Iran). After comparing the efficacy of imipramine - a chemical found in some types of antidepressants to increase the release of serotonin and norepinephrine - and saffron in about 30 people with mild to moderate depression, the researchers found that saffron was as effective as the antidepressant molecule.
