#neurotransmitters

#neurotransmitters

Depression remains one of the world's leading causes of disability, affecting more than 280 million people globally. Antidepressant medications and psychological therapy are the go-to treatments. But medications can be expensive and lead to side effects, and therapy is not accessible to everyone. Now, an updated systematic review published this month in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews finds exercise is equally effective at reducing symptoms of depression compared to medicine or talk therapy.

But for how casually and frequently we reference the gut, few of us know exactly how it works, why it sometimes doesn't or much about its intimate relationship with the brain. Even medical experts have only recently come to appreciate the microbiome's connection to mood, anxiety and neurodegenerative disease. That's because the microbiome is a complex community comprised of trillions of microbes - and every single gut is unique to the specific person. It's an ecosystem as mysterious to us as the deep ocean, or outer space or the brain...which it evidently shares a "communication highway" with.

You've seen it on T-shirts, Instagram captions, and coffee mugs: "Good vibes only." But is it just a trendy phrase or is there real science behind the power of positive thinking? As it turns out, there is. Neuroscience shows what many of us instinctively feel: staying optimistic, practicing gratitude, and spreading kindness can do more than just lift your mood. They can actually change how your brain works, and even influence your long-term health. Let's take a closer look at how positivity affects the brain, and how you can train your mind to be more resilient, optimistic, and happier.

The brain and nervous system may be more like a complex hologram than a simple electrical schematic. Lack of enough serotonin is thought to play a role in depression, anxiety, mania and other health conditions.