A fascinating new study (of mice) in the journal Neuropharmacology shows why the compound Resveratrol might help depression and anxiety.
A lot of it hinges on the stress model of depression.
When your body gets stressed, it releases glucocorticoids. Over time, that stress can damage neurons in the hippocampus. That can lead to depression and anxiety.
So if that’s a big way depression and anxiety happen, a key is this: how do we stop, or reverse, that chain of events?
Scientists found that resveratrol could be helpful by studying rodents, who respond to stress the same way we do by releasing something called corticosterone.
That release produces (bad) cell lesions in the rodent brains and higher levels of an enzyme that’s implicated in the development of depression and anxiety.
The great thing is that giving the little rodents resveratrol reversed the levels of that enzyme, and consequently, reduced depressive and anxious symptoms in the mice.
Hooray!
Medical News Today, though, notes that it’s way too early to get to excited.
Despite Dr. Xu’s excitement, there is little evidence of resveratrol’s ability to fight depression in humans. Although evidence of its effects in animal models is growing, data from clinical trials are lacking.
However, any step toward a new understanding of the chemical ins and outs of depression and anxiety is beneficial.
You can find resveratrol in red wine, red grapes, and berries, but also in supplements.
WebMd has a great list of its potential non-mental health benefits.
Early research suggests taking high doses could help lower your bad cholesterol, might help protect nerve cells from the damage that can lead to the Alzheimers, could help fight diabetes, and possibly limit the spread of cancer cells.
Of course, the research is very early, but it certainly seems worth checking out (after talking to your doctor).
