Anxiety
Episodes
Dr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
Dr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
In this clip, Dr. Roland Griffiths describes the current state of research on psychedelic drugs.
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Rhonda Exercise Brain Alzheimer's Cancer Telomeres Probiotics Fasting Pregnancy Coffee Anxiety Dementia Sulforaphane Sauna COVID-19 Supplements Ketogenic DietDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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Rhonda Vitamin D Brain Microbiome Depression Probiotics Fasting Coffee Anxiety Sauna Iron Blood Sugar COVID-19 Cardiovascular Ketogenic DietDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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In this clip, Dr. Roland Griffiths describes the current state of research on psychedelic drugs.
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Drs. Rhonda Patrick and Jari Laukkanen discuss the benefits of sauna use in terms of cardiorespiratory fitness and mood.
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Dr. Matthew Walker discusses the role that sleep plays in modulating the gut microbiome.
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Dr. Matthew Walker discusses how anxiety affects sleep and identifies ways to manage that stress to improve sleep.
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Dr. Matthew Walker describes critical factors that influence healthy sleep patterns, including the intake of caffeine, alcohol, and other substances.
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Heat Stress Exercise Brain Aging Performance Heart Disease Depression Memory Anxiety Cold Stress MortalityThis episode is a presentation Dr. Rhonda Patrick delivered at the Biohacker Summit in Helsinki, Finland in 2016.
Topic Pages
News & Publications
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Exercise boosts neurogenesis—fading fear-based memories and reducing PTSD-related behaviors, a mouse study finds. www.nature.com
In people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic experiences can resurface as vivid flashbacks and intense avoidance, often lasting months or even years. While therapy and medications can help, many people don’t respond fully. A recent study in mice found that exercise enhances the brain’s natural ability to forget, reducing trauma-related behaviors.
Researchers used a mouse model of PTSD to test whether increasing neurogenesis—the process of forming new neurons—could weaken fear-based memories. They focused on the hippocampus, a brain region that links memories to specific places and contexts. They used several strategies to stimulate neurogenesis, including voluntary exercise, targeted genetic techniques, and drug-based interventions designed to promote the growth and integration of new neurons.
They found that when the animals' neurogenesis increased, their fear-based memories faded more quickly, and PTSD-related behaviors, such as heightened anxiety and exaggerated fear responses, became less severe. Exercise proved especially effective, not only reducing fear but also easing anxiety-like behaviors. The same neurogenesis-boosting strategies also weakened reward-based memories associated with drug exposure, suggesting this approach could help in treating addiction.
These findings indicate that enhancing the brain’s natural ability to reorganize itself—particularly through interventions like exercise—helps weaken persistent, harmful memories, offering a promising new approach to treating PTSD and substance use disorders by focusing on memory mechanisms rather than just symptoms. Evidence suggests psychedelic drugs may be beneficial in treating PTSD, too. Learn more in this clip featuring Dr. Roland Griffiths.
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Misaligned sleep patterns and natural sleep preferences increase mental health risk, hinting at the crucial role of sleep timing and chronotype consistency for healthy aging. www.sciencedirect.com
The timing of when a person sleeps—not just how long—plays a vital role in mental health, influencing mood, cognitive function, and overall well-being. A recent study found that misalignment between bedtime and natural sleep preferences can increase the risk of mental health disorders like depression and anxiety.
Researchers identified the chronotype—whether they were morning or evening types—of nearly 74,000 middle-aged and older adults enrolled in the UK Biobank. They tracked sleep patterns using accelerometry and evaluated their sleep and chronotype alignment. They assessed mental health outcomes through standard diagnostic codes.
They found that morning types who went to bed late had a greater risk of mental health disorders, including depression and anxiety, than those whose sleep timing matched their chronotype. Interestingly, evening types who went to bed early had a lower risk of depression and a trend toward reduced risks of other mental health issues.
These findings suggest a mismatch between one’s biological preferences and sleep schedule can harm mental well-being. The investigators posited that people should aim to sleep before 1 a.m. for optimal mental health, even if their natural chronotype favors later sleep. Learn more about chronotypes in this clip featuring Dr. Matthew Walker.
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Intake of dietary antioxidants substantially reduces severe anxiety symptoms, offering a potential lifestyle approach to managing anxiety. www.tandfonline.com
Anxiety disorders affect millions of adults each year, and emerging evidence suggests that diet influences symptoms. Oxidative stress likely contributes to anxiety, but antioxidants may help counteract its effects. A recent study found that people with severe anxiety consumed fewer antioxidants than those without anxiety and that increasing antioxidant intake substantially reduced anxiety symptoms.
Researchers first compared the daily antioxidant intake of adults with and without severe anxiety. Then, they carried out an interventional study, providing 40 adults with severe anxiety with an antioxidant-rich beverage daily for six weeks to assess changes in anxiety levels. The beverage contained 15 grams of green tea (containing polyphenols and tannins), 3 grams of cinnamon powder (containing cinnamaldehyde and proanthocyanidins), and three lemon slices (containing flavonoids and vitamin C).
They found that people with severe anxiety had considerably lower daily antioxidant intake than those without. However, after six weeks of higher antioxidant intake, participants experienced a substantial reduction in their anxiety levels.
This was a small study, but its findings suggest that dietary antioxidants play a role in managing anxiety, potentially offering a simple, nutrition-based lifestyle approach to reducing anxiety symptoms. Learn about other lifestyle strategies for managing anxiety in Aliquot #8: Lifestyle interventions for depression and anxiety.
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Young people with ADHD face heightened loneliness and related mental health challenges, study reveals. journals.sagepub.com
Loneliness is a profound emotional and psychological state that can have far-reaching effects on mental health, especially among young people, for whom increases in depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal ideation often accompany their loneliness. A recent systematic review and meta-analysis found that loneliness is more intense among young people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Researchers analyzed the findings of 23 studies to determine how loneliness levels differed between young people (under age 25) with or without ADHD. Then, they looked at links between loneliness and mental health problems in young people with ADHD.
They found that young people with ADHD experience considerably higher levels of loneliness than those without. They also found a correlation between loneliness and various mental health problems among young people with ADHD.
ADHD is a neurobehavioral condition characterized by inattention and/or hyperactive or impulsive behavior. It affects people across the lifespan and influences aspects of their academic, occupational, and social functioning.
These findings suggest that young people with ADHD are particularly vulnerable to loneliness and the mental health problems that accompany it. Sleep deprivation can contribute to feelings of loneliness, too. Learn more in this clip featuring sleep expert Dr. Matthew Walker.
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Intense exercise is comparable to psychotherapy and drug treatments for depression, study finds. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Exercise has profound effects on the brain, stimulating the release of neurotransmitters that enhance mood and cognitive functions. Evidence suggests that regular physical activity can promote long-term improvements in mental health, reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety and fostering a sense of well-being. A recent review and meta-analysis found that exercise, especially intense exercise, is comparable to psychotherapy and drug treatments for depression.
Researchers analyzed the findings of 218 studies comparing the effects of exercise versus standard treatments or placebos on depression. The various trials included more than 14,000 participants and incorporated different exercise modalities.
The researchers found that physical activities such as walking, jogging, yoga, strength training, mixed aerobic exercises, and tai chi or qigong moderately reduced depression symptoms compared to standard treatments or placebos. Specifically, walking or jogging markedly reduced depression symptoms, with yoga and strength training also demonstrating notable benefits. Mixed aerobic exercises and tai chi or qigong were also beneficial but to a lesser extent. Notably, exercise intensity was directly linked to the magnitude of depression symptom reduction.
These findings suggest that exercise is comparable to psychotherapy and drug treatments for depression. However, only one of the studies included in the analysis met the highest standards for quality, creating uncertainty regarding the effectiveness of each exercise type. Sauna use, which mimics many of the physiological effects of exercise, improves mood, too. Learn more in this clip featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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People who cycle to work are less likely to require mental health medications, study finds. academic.oup.com
Regular physical activity can have profound effects on mental health by reducing depression and anxiety. Evidence suggests that cycling to work reduces the risk of premature death from all causes, including cardiovascular disease and cancer. A recent study found that people who cycle to work are also less likely to require mental health medications.
The study, which took place in Scotland, involved more than 378,000 adult participants living in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and the surrounding areas. Researchers collected data regarding whether the participants cycled to work and if they required a prescription for mental health (anti-anxiety or antidepressant) medications.
They found that very few commuters cycled to work, with just 4.8 percent of commuters in Edinburgh and 1.85 percent in Glasgow cycling. However, those who did cycle were less likely to have received a prescription for mental health medications than non-cyclists. This difference translated to a 15 percent reduction in mental health prescriptions over five years. Interestingly, men were more likely to cycle and less likely to take mental health medication than women.
These findings suggest that cycling to work improves mental health and supports public health efforts that encourage commuters who travel shorter distances to consider cycling. Watch this episode in which Dr. Rhonda Patrick talks about her love of cycling for its powerful mood-enhancing effects and describes the compelling science suggesting exercise is a powerful tool for preventing or managing the symptoms of depression and mental illness.
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Even minimal exercise linked to 47 percent lower anxiety risk in older adults. www.sciencedirect.com
Many older adults have generalized anxiety disorder, a persistent feeling of anxiety or dread that interferes with everyday life. Evidence suggests that physical activity alleviates symptoms of anxiety, but scientists don’t know how much activity is optimal. A recent study found that older adults who engaged in regular physical activity were 47 percent less likely to experience symptoms of anxiety than those who engaged in no activity.
Researchers drew on data from more than 7,600 older adults enrolled in The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA). They gathered information about the participants' physical activity levels, worry symptoms, and anxiety levels over ten years. They assessed the participants' activity levels and categorized them as having no, low, medium, or high activity levels.
They found that participants with high activity levels were 31 percent less likely to develop anxiety than those with no activity. However, participants who engaged in even minimal moderate-intensity physical activity – equivalent to just 10 minutes a day, five times a week – were 47 percent less likely to develop anxiety than those with no activity.
These findings suggest that even a small amount of physical activity has robust effects on mood in older adults, markedly reducing the risk of developing anxiety. They also align with previous research, which found that older adults enrolled in TILDA who met WHO physical activity guidelines were 63 percent less likely to develop generalized anxiety disorder than those who did not.
Exercise supports the health of pericytes, tiny contractile cells surrounding the brain’s capillaries that regulate vascular blood flow and maintain blood-brain barrier integrity. Pericytes detach from the blood vessels in aging, driving the pathophysiology of neurological dysfunction, vascular dementia, and mood disorders like anxiety. Learn more in this episode featuring Dr. Axel Montagne.
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Psychedelic drugs show potential in easing PTSD and TBI symptoms in military veterans. www.sciencedaily.com
Military veterans, especially those engaging in special operations, are at greater risk for developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). A recent study found that psychedelic drugs reduce the symptoms associated with PTSD and TBI and improve cognition in special operations veterans.
The study involved 86 male special operations veterans who had reported experiencing various mental and physical health disorders, including memory/concentration problems, TBI, depression, anxiety, PTSD, sleep problems, anger/rage, and fatigue. Each participant received a single oral dose of ibogaine hydrochloride. On a separate occasion, they received at least three incrementally increasing amounts (totaling 50 milligrams) of 5-MeO-DMT. Before and after each treatment session, they documented their emotional well-being and any other symptoms they experienced.
The participants reported marked improvements in their PTSD, depression, anxiety, insomnia, and anger symptoms, along with increased life satisfaction, even at six months post-treatment. In addition, their psychological flexibility and cognitive functioning increased, while post-concussion symptoms notably decreased, remaining improved at all follow-ups.
Participants reported positive changes in attitudes, behaviors, and relationships, and many considered the experience highly meaningful, spiritually significant, and psychologically insightful.
Ibogaine hydrochloride is a psychedelic drug found in the bark of the Tabernanthe iboga, a shrub native to Central and West Africa. It elicits prolonged effects (beginning 30 minutes to three hours after intake and peaking between 18 and 36 hours), often described as a “waking dream.”
5-MeO-DMT (5-methoxy-N,N-dimethyltryptamine) is a psychedelic drug obtained from various plants and the glands of the _ Incilius alvarius_ toad. It is a fast-acting, short-duration psychoactive, inducing feelings of awe, visual and auditory hallucinations, and other sensations common with classic psychedelics.
These findings suggest that psychedelic drugs improve symptoms associated with PTSD and TBI in military special operations veterans. These improvements were still evident at the six-month follow-up when the study ended. It is possible the effects endured even longer. Learn more about the effects of psilocybin and other psychedelic drugs in this episode featuring Dr. Roland Griffiths.
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Mental health disorders are rising, affecting more than 970 million people worldwide. While lifestyle behaviors can be beneficial in treating these disorders, drugs are often the primary treatment choice. A recent review found that physical activity reduced symptoms of depression by as much as 43 percent.
Researchers conducted an umbrella review – an analysis that consolidates findings from multiple systematic reviews, providing a comprehensive overview of the existing evidence. Their analysis included 97 reviews, encompassing 1039 randomized controlled trials (128,119 participants) investigating the effects of physical activity on depression, anxiety, or psychological distress.
They found that various forms of physical activity, including walking, resistance training, Pilates, yoga, and others, reduced symptoms of depression by 43 percent and anxiety by 42 percent, eliciting faster effects than medication. They observed the most pronounced effects in people with depression, pregnant and postpartum women, healthy people, and those with HIV or kidney disease. For people with depression and anxiety, higher-intensity exercise involving bursts of short and mid-duration activities proved more effective than longer-duration exercises.
These findings demonstrate that physical activity has marked, beneficial effects on mood and may be an effective intervention for many people. The mechanisms that drive these effects likely include increased expression of neurotrophic factors, increased availability of serotonin and norepinephrine, regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and reduced systemic inflammation. Learn more about some of these mechanisms in this short video featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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Immune cell depletion promotes depression-like behavior, suggesting a role for regulatory T cells in mood stabilization. neurosciencenews.com
Regulatory T-cells, or Tregs, are white blood cells that modulate the body’s immune response. A growing body of evidence points to the role of immune activation in mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression. A new study in mice shows that Foxp3, a transcription factor, influences Treg expression and activity, ultimately influencing mood.
Researchers depleted the Foxp3-expressing cells in mice and assessed the animals' behavior. They found that Foxp3 depletion caused temporary anxiety and depression-like behaviors due to the activation of inflammasomes, multi-protein complexes that drive the body’s inflammatory response.
Then, the researchers restored Foxp3-expressing cells in the mice and found that the anxiety and depression-like behaviors improved. They also noted changes in the innate immune system, including increased activity of caspase-1 (a protein that initiates the immune response) and release of interleukin-1β (a pro-inflammatory cytokine) in the brain.
These findings suggest that Foxp3 plays a causal role in regulating the immune response, which, in turn, can affect the brain’s innate immune system. They also highlight potential mechanisms that may contribute to anxiety and depression. However, this research was conducted in mice, and extrapolating these findings to humans requires further investigation. Learn about some of the underlying mechanisms that drive depression in this short video.
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Breathing exercises reduce stress and improve mental health. www.news-medical.net
Breathwork improves mental health, a new study shows. People who practiced breathwork reported less anxiety, depression, and mental stress, regardless of how frequently they engaged in the practice.
Researchers reviewed the findings of 12 randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of breathwork on stress. The breathwork techniques were presented in person, remotely, or via both.
They found that slow-breathing exercises improved participants' mental health, regardless of how the techniques were presented. Participants who practiced breathwork reported having less anxiety, depression, and mental stress, compared to those who did not practice breathwork. Surprisingly, the researchers didn’t identify a dose-response effect with breathwork, aligning with other findings in which just a single breathwork session reduced anxiety.
Breathwork is an umbrella term that refers to various breathing exercises and techniques. Evidence suggests that breathwork improves heart rate variability and promotes resilience to stress. People often engage in breathwork as part of general relaxation practices, yoga, or meditation. Learn more about the benefits of meditation in this audio episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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Estrogen fluctuations may trigger atypical hippocampal working memory function in women with a BDNF genotype present in one in four women. (2017) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
The findings may help to explain individual differences in menstrual cycle and reproductive-related mental disorders linked to fluctuations in the hormone. They may also shed light on mechanisms underlying sex-related differences in onset, severity, and course of mood and anxiety disorders and schizophrenia, which are often marked by working memory deficits. The gene-by-hormone interaction’s effect on circuit function was found only with one of two versions of the gene that codes for BDNF [Val66Met genotype] (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a chemical messenger operating in the circuit. This version occurs in about a fourth of white women.
The researchers experimentally manipulated estrogen levels over several months in healthy women with both versions of the gene while monitoring their brain activity as they performed a working memory task. When exposed to estrogen, an area in the brain’s memory hub that is typically suppressed during such tasks instead activated in those with the uniquely human gene variant. Both PET (positron emission tomography) and fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scans showed the same atypical activation. Such gene-hormone interactions may confer risk for mental illnesses, say the researchers.
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Estrogen may protect against fear overexpression during the recall of fear and extinction memories. (2021) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
Participants underwent a fear-conditioning paradigm in which two of four photographs of neutral male faces were paired with a loud burst of white noise. Following the conditioning, the subjects underwent fear extinction, in which two photographs – only one of which had been paired with the noise – were again presented, but this time with no noise stimulus. The next day, subjects were shown all four photographs again, including the two that had been presented in the extinction phase and thus ready for extinction recall, and two of them without previous extinction – thus subject to fear recall. During all presentations, the researchers measured skin conductance responses (SCR), a peripheral readout of fear expression, and brain oscillations measured by electroencephalography.
Mr. Bierwirth said: “We found stronger peripheral fear expression (via SCR) during fear recall and extinction recall under low-E2 conditions, that is, in men and in OC women, compared to mid-cycle women with higher E2 [estradiol] levels. Most importantly, we also observed enhanced theta oscillations in the medial prefrontal cortex and especially in the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), in men and OC women compared to MC women.”
Importantly, the authors also point out that subjects were examined during their natural E2 status. They were not randomized to experimentally manipulated estrogen levels and so causal inferences about estrogen cannot be drawn.
Fear recall-related dACC theta oscillations were attenuated in women with higher E2 levels, which, importantly, supports previous findings suggesting a protective role for E2 against fear overexpression during the recall of fear and extinction memories. The data demonstrate that peripheral and brain oscillatory correlates of fear memory recall do not differ between the sexes per se but vary with E2 status, even among women.
From the publication:
Rodent studies show that theta oscillations (4–8 Hz) in the prelimbic cortex (homolog of the primate dACC) were augmented during fear recall and reduced to baseline levels during extinction recall.
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Low estrogen levels may make women more susceptible to the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). (2017) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
The scientists examined blood samples from 278 women from the Grady Trauma Project, a study of low-income Atlanta residents with high levels of exposure to violence and abuse. They analyzed maps of DNA methylation, a modification of DNA that is usually a sign of genes that are turned off.
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“We knew that estrogen affects the activity of many genes throughout the genome,” […] “But if you look at the estrogen-modulated sites that are also associated with PTSD, just one pops out.”
That site is located in a gene called HDAC4, known to be critical for learning and memory in mice. Genetic variation in HDAC4 among the women was linked to a lower level of HDAC4 gene activity and differences in their ability to respond to and recover from fear, and also differences in “resting state” brain imaging. Women with the same variation also showed stronger connections in activation between the amygdala and the cingulate cortex, two regions of the brain involved in fear learning.
On top of that, experiments with female mice showed that the HDAC4 gene was activated in the amygdala while the mice were undergoing fear learning, but only when estrogen levels in the mice were low.
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Quality of life in older hypogonadal men may be positively influenced by testosterone substitution. (2020) onlinelibrary.wiley.com
From the publication:
Testosterone plays a pivotal role in maintaining balance within the multi-dimensional psychological network of mood, behaviour, self-perception and perceived quality of life in men of any age. Apart from classical forms of hypogonadism, low testosterone concentrations can also be seen in older men, described as an age- and comorbidity-driven functional hypogonadism and might relate to depressive symptoms exhibiting a wide array of clinical pictures ranging from dysthymia and fatigue over inertia, listlessness to hopelessness and suicidal thoughts. Also, various traits of anxiety, from unfocussed fear to phobic anxiousness and open panic syndromes, are influenced by testosterone. Correspondingly, anxiolysis is likely to be modulated by testosterone via stress resilience, threat vigilance and reward processing. The steroid modulates pro-active and re-active dimensions of aggression, which has to be seen within the context of gaining or maintaining status. This may also include other strategies impacting the social position: heroic or parochial altruism and non-aggressive paths of assertiveness, such as posture and social vigilance. Independent rather than relationship-associated self-construal and self-esteem influence risk-taking traits under the modulation of testosterone. In addition, the genetic setting of the androgen receptor modulates the role of testosterone in aspects regarding mood and personality. Dimensions of sexuality are rather important in this context, but are not target of this article and covered in another part of this special edition. Overall, the quality of life in older hypogonadal men can be positively influenced by testosterone substitution, as has been demonstrated in large placebo-controlled trials.
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Aerobic exercise reduces symptoms of anxiety. bmchealthservres.biomedcentral.com
Aerobic exercise – especially high-intensity exercise – reduces symptoms of anxiety, an analysis of 15 studies shows. These anti-anxiety effects endured for several months after cessation of the exercise.
Reviewers analyzed data from 15 studies that investigated the effects of low- or high-intensity exercise on anxiety symptoms. All the participants in the studies had some degree of anxiety, with their conditions falling on a spectrum that included anxiety disorders, raised anxiety levels, and raised anxiety sensitivity – a condition in which a person feels anxious about the physical symptoms that often accompany anxiety. People on waiting lists for anxiety treatment who did not exercise served as comparisons.
They found that participants who engaged in both low- and high-intensity aerobic exercise experienced greater improvements in their anxiety than non-exercising people on treatment waiting lists. High-intensity exercise reduced anxiety symptoms more effectively than low-intensity exercise. The various interventions lasted between 10 weeks and six months, with participants exercising three times a week, on average.
Multiple mechanisms may be responsible for the anti-anxiety effects of exercise. For example, high-intensity exercise promotes the production of lactate, a byproduct of glucose metabolism that participates in the production of neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine and serotonin. Low norepinephrine and serotonin levels can drive anxiety and the inability to handle stressful situations. Learn more about lactate and its effects on the brain in this episode featuring Dr. George Brooks.
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Testosterone may need to be converted to estrogen in the brain to show anxiety- and depression-inhibiting effects, mouse study suggests. (2015) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
He already knew that testosterone had a protective effect on males, just as estrogen and progesterone do on females. He also knew that most testosterone was converted into estrogen in the brain. What he didn’t know was that those anxiety- and depression-inhibiting effects couldn’t be produced unless the testosterone was first converted to estrogen.
“There is an enzyme in the brain that ‘mediates’ the conversion of testosterone into estrogen,” Kabbaj said. “We inhibited that enzyme in a specific brain area implicated in the regulation of mood. And when you do that, you lose the antidepressant effect of testosterone. So the conversion is very important.”
His lab targeted the hippocampus area of the brain, where testosterone acts through what’s known as the MAPK pathway to induce its antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects.
“But we have to be careful about that pathway,” Kabbaj said, “because it’s also implicated in cellular growth and cancer. Therefore, we’re looking for other pathways that don’t have these effects. It’s complicated. Nothing is ever simple, but we’ll get there.”
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Testosterone may facilitate social approach by specifically activating the amygdalae if social approach is desired (2015) www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 54 young healthy women were given 0.5 mg of testosterone (or a placebo) four hours before a brain scan. This dosage is much lower than, for example, that used for a sex change treatment, or as a supplement for sportspeople, but it is sufficient to have a measurable effect on brain activity.
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It seems that testosterone facilitates social approach by specifically activating the amygdalae only if social approach is desired. This is interesting for two reasons. It explains previous research that showed that testosterone makes approaching a social threat easier. Even more important, it shows that the amygdalae are not necessarily linked to dealing with emotions, but rather to motivation. Many studies forget to look at motivation. We are the first to demonstrate that the impact of testosterone on amygdala response depends on the motivational context."
Also in cases of social anxiety?
“We’re now going to repeat this study in people with social anxieties. We have already discovered that these people have lower testosterone levels. We are going consider how we can apply these results with testosterone to improving the treatment for anxiety disorders.”
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Depression and anxiety are neuropsychiatric diseases characterized by neurological dysfunction and poor mental health. Oxidative stress, which is caused by an imbalance in the concentration of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant compounds, may be one driver of neurological damage in the development of depression and anxiety. Findings of a new report demonstrate the ability of methyl donor supplementation to reduce oxidative stress in the brain and relieve depression and anxiety symptoms in rats eating a high-sugar diet.
Methyl donors (e.g., choline, betaine, folate, vitamin B12) are nutrients that provide a methyl group (one carbon and three hydrogen molecules) for a series of chemical reactions in the body. Methyl donors interact with the methyl carrier, S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM) and methylation enzymes to complete the transfer of a methyl group from the donor to a target protein, lipid, or nucleic acid. Methylation of nucleic acids in DNA and ribonucleic acids in RNA is necessary for epigenetic modifications and gene expression. Good dietary sources of methyl donors include egg yolks and soy foods (high in choline); whole grains (high in betaine); green vegetables (high in folate); and meat, dairy, and fortified products (high in vitamin B12).
Methyl groups may also have antioxidant properties that protect the body from oxidative damage due to environmental stress, such as a high sugar diet, and emotional stress. Previous research has demonstrated the ability of methyl donor supplementation to reduce the metabolic and neuropsychiatric impairments caused by a high sugar diet in rats.
The investigators fed 21 female rats a standard chow diet with either tap water (7 rats) or drinking water with 23 percent fructose added (equivalent to twice the sugar concentration of most sodas)(14 rats). After 10 weeks, the investigators gave half of the rats in the fructose group methyl donor supplements (i.e., choline, betaine, folate, and vitamin B12). The rats continued the study for an additional eight weeks. The researchers measured the effects of fructose and methyl donors on metabolism, behavior, and brain health.
A high-fructose diet caused increased weight gain, fasting glucose and triglycerides, and anxiety and depression behaviors compared to a standard diet. A high-fructose diet also increased oxidative damage and lipid peroxidation in the neurons of the hippocampus, a key brain region damaged by depression and anxiety. After eight weeks of methyl donor supplementation, this hippocampal damage was reversed, reducing depression and anxiety behavior. Methyl donor supplementation also normalized glucose, triglyceride, and cholesterol levels among rats consuming a high-fructose diet.
These results demonstrate the efficacy of methyl donor supplementation to reduce or reverse the promotion of obesity, metabolic disease, and depression and anxiety on a high-fructose diet in rats.
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Ashwagandha root extract boosts stress resistance. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Emotional stressors can become overwhelming, potentially setting in motion a cascade of hormonal and physiological responses that are deleterious to a person’s mental and physical health. Evidence suggests that prolonged exposure to emotional stressors increases a person’s risk of developing cardiovascular disease, metabolic dysfunction, and depression. Findings from a recent study demonstrate that Ashwagandha root extract enhances a person’s capacity to handle stress.
Commonly referred to as winter cherry, Indian ginseng, or poison gooseberry, Ashwagandha is an herbaceous plant from the Solanaceae family. Evidence indicates that Ashwagandha exerts anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects. Ashwagandha has a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine and is widely described as an adaptogen.
Adaptogens are medicinal plants that promote stress resistance, concentration, performance and endurance. They function by switching on the activity of cellular protective mechanisms, including the activation of heat shock proteins.
The prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involved 64 adults between the ages of 18 and 54 years. Each of the participants had reported a history of chronic stress but had no psychiatric problems. Half of the participants took a placebo, while the other half took a supplement containing 300 milligrams of high-concentration full-spectrum Ashwagandha extract for 60 days. The authors of the study measured the participants' serum cortisol (a stress hormone) and scored their stress levels via questionnaires before and after the intervention.
At the beginning of the study, the two groups' stress level scores were very similar. At the end of the 60-day intervention, however, the groups' average stress scores were considerably different. In particular, the difference in the participants' scores indicating symptoms of severe depression differed by 89 percent between the two groups, with the placebo group reporting worsened symptoms of depression. The participants' cortisol levels decreased nearly 28 percent from baseline in the group that took Ashwagandha. Cortisol levels in the placebo group only dropped about 8 percent.
These findings suggest that Ashwagandha root extract improves stress resistance and decreases stress biomarkers. Interestingly, meditation exerts similar effects. Listen to this episode in which Dr. Rhonda Patrick describes how meditation buffers the negative effects of stress.
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BDNF genetic variant influences response to exposure therapy among people with PTSD. www.sciencedaily.com
Exposure therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy commonly used to treat people with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Some evidence suggests that BDNF mediates the response to exposure therapy, which can vary among people. A 2013 study demonstrated that genetic differences in BDNF expression influences how well a person responds to exposure therapy.
A single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the region of the DNA that encodes BDNF causes a substitution of the amino acid valine (Val) by methionine (Met) in the BDNF protein. Evidence suggests that carriers of the Met allele (Met/Met or Val/Met genotype) have reduced hippocampal function, poor episodic memory, and decreased exercise-induced secretion of BDNF.
The study involved 55 people between the ages of 18 and 65 years who had previously participated in an eight-week exposure therapy program. The participants provided DNA (via saliva samples) for BDNF genotyping.
The genotyping revealed that 30 participants carried the Val/Val BDNF allele, and 25 participants carried the Met-66 allele. Carriers of the Met-66 allele showed a poorer response to exposure therapy than carriers of the Val/Val allele, suggesting that the SNP influenced BDNF expression and subsequent response to cognitive behavioral therapy.
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Cognitive-behavioral therapy reduces symptoms of social anxiety disorder and improves biomarkers of aging. www.nature.com
Telomeres are distinctive structures comprised of short, repetitive sequences of DNA located on the ends of chromosomes that prevent chromosomes from losing genes or sticking to other chromosomes during cell division. Telomere attrition, a biomarker of aging, is commonly associated with mental health conditions such as social anxiety disorder. Protection against telomere shortening is provided by activation of the enzymes telomerase and glutathione peroxidase. Findings from a new study suggest that cognitive behavior therapy reduces telomere attrition by activating these protective mechanisms.
Social anxiety disorder, also known as social phobia, is a mental health condition characterized by an intense, persistent fear of being judged, negatively evaluated, or rejected by others. Approximately 15 million people living in the United States have been diagnosed with social anxiety.
The study involved 46 people with social anxiety disorder. The participants' plasma levels of telomerase and glutathione peroxidase were measured before and nine weeks after receiving cognitive behavior therapy. The participants' anxiety was assessed via self-report.
Following cognitive behavioral therapy, the participants' social anxiety symptoms decreased significantly. Increases in telomerase and glutathione peroxidase activity were associated with reduced social anxiety, suggesting that cellular protective mechanisms may be involved in mediating anxiety symptoms and adding to a growing body of evidence that stress and anxiety accelerate biological aging.
Lifestyle factors such as exercise and meditation have also been shown to improve symptoms of anxiety and biomarkers of aging. Meditation, in particular, slows biological aging by slowing the shortening of telomeres. Studies by telomere experts Elizabeth Blackburn at UCSF and Elisa Epel show that meditation buffers the stress that shortens telomeres and activates the gene that encodes for telomerase.
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A single night of sleep deprivation increased anxiety levels by 30 percent in healthy young adults. news.berkeley.edu
Nearly 40 million people living in the United States have an anxiety disorder, and many of these people report having poor or fragmented sleep. New research demonstrates that deep sleep may reduce anxiety by helping reorganize connections in the brain.
The study involved 30 young adults whose brain activities and anxiety levels were measured after viewing stressful events following a sleep-deprived night versus a sleep-filled night. After the sleep-deprived night, the participants' anxiety levels were increased after viewing the events. When the participants had a full night of sleep, however, their anxiety levels were decreased, especially for those who experienced deep sleep.
Brain scans demonstrated that sleep deprivation among the participants impaired the activity of the brain’s prefrontal cortex, an area that mediates the effects of stress and anxiety. Conversely, deep sleep restored prefrontal cortex function, effectively restructuring the brain to reduce anxiety.
These findings suggest that sleep deprivation increases anxiety levels whereas deep sleep helps decrease anxiety.
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Brain inflammation found to be 30% higher in people suffering with obsessive-compulsive disorder. www.eurekalert.org
There’s very good evidence for systemic inflammation being implicated in mental disorders more generally, but also depression specifically. See the FoundMyFitness video entitled “The Underlying Mechanisms of Depression” to learn about some of the interesting experiments establishing the connection between immune dysfunction and symptoms of depression.
This study, however, seems to suggest that people with obsessive-compulsive disorder actively have 30% higher brain-related inflammation.
FTA:
A chemical dye measured the activity of immune cells called microglia, which are active in inflammation, in six brain areas that play a role in OCD. In people with OCD, inflammation was 32 per cent higher on average in these regions. Inflammation was greater in some people with OCD as compared to others, which could reflect variability in the biology of the illness. […] Another notable finding from the current study - a connection between resisting compulsions and brain inflammation - provides one indicator. At least nine out of 10 people with OCD carry out compulsions, the actions or rituals that people do to try to reduce their obsessions. In the study, people who experienced the greatest stress or anxiety when they tried to avoid acting out their compulsions also had the highest levels of inflammation in one brain area. This stress response could also help pinpoint who may best benefit from this type of treatment.
In light of the fact that we now know the body’s immune system is afforded direct access to the brain via a network of lymphatic vessels in the meninges, it puts managing systemic inflammation in a whole new light.
While we may be a long way away from finding a “cure” for people suffering from these disorders, it does make multi-pronged inflammation reduction approaches that much more appealing.
This could possibly include…
- supplemental omega-3 (especially supplements rich in EPA, which dampens inflammation)
- supplemental sulforaphane which dampens inflammation and may also cross the blood-brain barrier. Watch the FoundMyFitness video on sulforaphane.
- improving the microbiome, especially by ingesting a diversity of plant fibers which play a role in dampening inflammation through the production of short-chain fatty acids which boost the production of regulatory T cells. Watch the interview with the Sonnenburgs to learn more about this relationship.
- using physical activity as a way of stimulating the breakdown of toxic kynurenine by our muscles.
… and yes, possibly targetted drugs as well. The point is, by establishing inflammation as a missing link in these disorders it opens up a lot of different possible “treatments” that might have a cumulative effect! Interesting times.