What Are The Effects Of Depression On The Brain?

Depression is a mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide. 

Besides pushing a person into a gloomy and dejected state of mind, it also causes damage to the brain permanently. It changes the physical shape of the brain, which as a result causes major changes in behaviour and cognition. 

Depression primarily affects three areas of the brain, which control memory and concentration. Almost 20 percent of depression patients never make a full recovery.

Brain damage occurs due to persistent depression rather than being a predisposing factor for it. Depression affects the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex of the brain. Here are the effects of depression on the brain.

No, this is not a massive mammal that lives in the wetlands of Africa. A vital organ located bang in the middle of the brain, the hippocampus rapidly generates new connections between cells. It stores memories and regulates the production of a hormone called cortisol. 

The body releases cortisol during times of depression, physical and mental stress. Stressful events or chemical imbalance in the body can cause excessive amounts of cortisol, which further complicates the condition. Excess cortisol level in the body is linked to obesity, which gives rise to numerous diseases. In a healthy brain, neurones (brain cells) are produced throughout a person’s adult life in the hippocampus. But, among individuals with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), long-term exposure to increased cortisol levels reduces the production of new neurones and causes the neurones in the hippocampus to shrink.

Using brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data involving almost 9000 people from around the world, an international team of researchers observed that people who suffered recurring bouts of depression also had a smaller hippocampus.

The relationship between severe depression and the hippocampus is toxic. The duration of past depression impairs memory performance, pointing to a toxic link between depression and cognition. This calls for an urgent addressing of the problem of depression for public health.

2. Amygdala

The amygdala is responsible for emotional responses such as pleasure and fear. In people with MDD, due to continuous exposure to high levels of cortisol, the amygdala becomes enlarged and more active. An enlarged and hyperactive amygdala, combined with abnormal activity in other parts of the brain results in disturbances in sleep and activity patterns. It also makes the body release irregular amounts of hormones and other chemicals in the body, resulting in further complications.

3. Prefrontal Cortex

The prefrontal cortex is located in the very front of the frontal lobe. It is responsible for a variety of complex behaviours, regulating emotions, making decisions, planning, forming memories and greatly contributes to personality development. Excessive production of Cortisol causes the prefrontal cortex to shrink.

The frontal lobes are much bigger than the hippocampus. The study that observed the shrinkage in both areas concluded that the frontal lobe undergoes the same changes as the hippocampus. The frontal lobes are also directly involved in managing emotional reactions and focusing attention. Shrinking frontal lobes is just as critical as the shrinking of the hippocampi.

Can Cortisol Be The Culprit?

Researchers acknowledge the fact that high cortisol levels play a crucial role in modifying the physical structure and chemical activities of the brain, triggering the onset of MDD. Under normal circumstances, cortisol levels peak during the day and decrease at night. In people with MDD, cortisol levels are always at an increased level, even at night.7

Can Meditation Help?

Meditation is a powerful method to overcome depression and help the brain to recover from the damage caused due to depression. Research has shown that meditation can actually increase the density of the brain. 

4. Supplementation – Is it an Option?

According to people, who experience anxiety and depression, right after opening their eyes, taking Stress Relief and Anxiety supplements was helping them a lot! Their advice ie to choose a premium blend of herbal ingredients designed to provide results is an alternative method to MAINTAIN A BALANCED, POSITIVE MOOD. Supplements containing pure non-artificial or addictive ingredients, drug free and non-habit forming to give you the peace of mind is an option. Knowing what you're taking is safe and will not be subject to any harmful side effects is a must. Read labels, or reviews, talk to friends. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                        source: Stress and Depression

Restore Your Hormonal Balance For Fat Loss

If your weight-loss plans seem to be able to make no headway against the weighing scales, no matter how careful you are about your diet and exercise, your endocrine system could be the problem. Do you know that the balance of sex hormones doesn’t just regulate your libido but could impact your waistline too? Or that a stress hormone could bring on weight gain? With some simple fixes, you could actually balance your hormones and watch the fat melt away.

Are you careful about what you eat but still can’t seem to lose the extra weight? Is your battle with the bulge a never-ending story? If you’re like so many others who seem to be reasonably active and not especially bad about what they eat, a hormonal imbalance may be to blame. Thankfully, the fixes, while requiring expertise and proper diagnosis, are not as hard to implement as you might imagine.

The Insulin Issue

Insulin is a hormone you’ve probably heard about a lot in the news, thanks to its central role in new-age problems like metabolic syndrome. Insulin regulates how your body uses food for energy or fat storage. When you are insulin-resistant, your body doesn’t respond to insulin normally, causing your body to produce more and more of the hormone and eventually resulting in diabetes or prediabetes. The body is then unable to process glucose correctly. Weight gain is a common fallout. Other problems like polycystic ovarian syndrome are also linked to insulin resistance. You may need medication to help correct the problem and will need to get on a strict low-glycemic index, low-carb diet. Build some regular exercise into your routine to help correct the underlying hormonal issues that are worsening the weight gain. Luckily, many of the rules for weight loss will also help with some of these endocrine problems, so get with the program!

Fix Your Cortisol Connection: Stress And Weight Gain

Cortisol is a stress hormone that’s meant to regulate your reaction to stressful situations. Unfortunately, if you expose yourself to too much stress because you’re not getting enough sleep, have a stressful work or personal life, or are simply not eating right (too much caffeine, perhaps?), you could end up with a surge of cortisol in your body that then lingers always. When you’re stressed, you’re likely to crave fatty sugary foods to ease that pressure – and that’s a recipe for weight-gain disaster. In addition, if you’re sleep deprived, higher cortisol levels can link to insulin resistance, which puts you at further risk of obesity. So ensure you sleep well and take up some stress-relieving activities like yoga or meditation.

Watch Those Estrogen Levels

Estrogen, while more well-known as a female sex hormone, has a significant role to play in regulating your body weight too. In the right amounts, it controls insulin levels in your body, ensuring your body keeps its blood sugar levels steady, supplying it as energy to muscles to be burnt as a fuel. However, an imbalance of estrogen can be caused by too much intake from dietary sources like meats or too little due to polycystic ovarian disease or obesity – both ends can present a problem. This in turn could put you at risk of insulin resistance, with less sugar going to your muscles and more remaining in the bloodstream. Your body then starts storing the excess glucose as fat. So get your estrogen levels checked and speak with your specialist about suitable treatment. You can also cut back on your red meat intake.

                        Appetite Control with Leptin

The body’s appetite is regulated by a couple of hormones, one of which is leptin. It controls the energy balance in your body and, by extension, your appetite over the long term. Sometimes, your body may develop resistance to leptin, making it ignore the signals this hormone is sending out. The result? You won’t be able to tell when you’re actually full and should stop eating. Left unchecked, you’ll see the weight pile on as you eat more than you need to over time. So how does this happen? If you have a diet that’s high in fructose and processed food, it can cause leptin levels to spike. Conversely, eating a low-fructose diet can help keep this problem in check. Avoid processed foods and sugary snacks, check labels before you eat, but also get more of your “daily five” from vegetables rather than overloading on fruit (especially fructose-rich fruit like pineapple or melons).

Not Enough Testosterone?

The male sex hormone is an important piece of the metabolism puzzle in both men and women. Not having enough of it in your body could cause you to have higher fat mass and lower muscle mass, which in turn dampens your metabolic rate or ability to burn fat and carbs. In addition, a testosterone deficiency is also linked to higher cholesterol levels, increased triglycerides, and even insulin sensitivity. All of these are implicated in weight gain and fat buildup. So to fix this problem, you may need to check the levels of foods that mimic estrogen and avoid foods that lower testosterone in the body, like bread or water from bisphenol A (BPA)-laden plastic bottles.

Get Your Thyroid In Order

Thyroid hormones T3 and T4 also have a part to play in body weight regulation. Hypothyroidism or an underactive thyroid can cause your metabolism to become sluggish and bring on weight gain. You may also experience tiredness and constant fatigue that make exercise and activity a challenge. Digestion too can take a hit, making the balance of thyroid hormones vital to weight loss. An endocrinologist will help you decide on an appropriate course of treatment. You can treat your thyroid problem naturally by cutting down on soy, iodine, caffeine, and refined carbohydrates; eating more protein; and being mindful that goitrogenic vegetables like broccoli, spinach, kale, or cauliflower raw can aggravate thyroid problems. Practice stress alleviating techniques since thyroid problems have a close association with stress.

source:http://www.curejoy.com/content/how-to-reset-your-belly-fat-hormones/?utm_source=MC&utm_medium=email&utm_content=Daily-Newsletter-Feb-22&utm_campaign=Daily-Newsletter