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Inflamed, depressed and obese. One condition that is at the root of three situations that only seem to be unrelated. The number of scientific studies that correlate the alterations in the immune system with phenomena of depression and obesity are growing rapidly. Our knowledge of this data allows us to understand the human body in a holistic way and therefore cure it more effectively, without separating it into parts.
Ever since mid-2006 when Medical Hypothesis published one of the first articles that discussed a direct correlation between allergies, immune system alterations, degenerative diseases and cancer, metabolic diseases (obesity and diabetes), mental illnesses (especially depression) and cardiovascular diseases, numerous other articles confirming this phenomenon have appeared in various prestigious journals. .
Another recent study that was published last April (Brandacher G, et al., Curr Drug Metab 2007 Apr;8(3):289-95), gives a clear indication that low intensity inflammation (food intolerance is a classic example) can cause emotional alterations due to a series of important biochemical processes
Certain inflammatory cytokines such as IL 6, IL1 and I'FN gamma are active during chronic inflammation. Even though this last cytokine is present in the inflammatory pool, it also acts by way of the enzyme indoleamine and is able to cause a degeneration of tryptophan.
What results is that the chronic stimulus of the immune system, firstly by way of IFN gamma and then through indoleamine, reaches the point of interfering with moods in a decisive manner. This stems from the fact that tryptophan is an amino acid that is crucial for the regulation of the body's serotonin level.
It has also been proven that a reduction in serotonin affects appetite control, leading to an increase in the desire for food.
In this way, we risk inflammation, depression and obesity in a kind of vicious circle that can, however, be controlled by reducing inflammation (a diet that regulates food intolerances), practicing correct physical exercise, and by regulating insulin fluctuations through diet
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