Gut inflammation is linked to depression

Depression is not an antidepressant deficiency. In fact, for the 40% of Americans complaining of gut symptoms, depression may be one of those symptoms. Studies have found that the inflammatory signals in the gut can travel to the brain, triggering depression. Clinically, I have seen many patients resolve their depression simply by dampening gut inflammation.…

How Hypothyroidism causes depression and anxiety

How hypothyroidism causes depression and anxiety

Listen to the podcast on iTunes. (Also available on major podcast platforms). Watch the YouTube video. If you struggle with chronic depression, anxiety, or other mood disorders, you may suffer from undiagnosed hypothyroidism. A thyroid hormone deficiency can cause multiple brain-based symptoms. This is because thyroid hormones play an important role in the function of many areas…

Leaky brain and the blood-brain barrier

Listen to the podcast on iTunes. (Also available on major podcast platforms). Watch the YouTube video. You may have heard of leaky gut, but have you heard of leaky brain? Sometimes the immune barriers in the body break down, letting in pollutants, toxins, and other irritants that would normally be kept out.  This often happens in the…

Brain fog and fatigue? Avoid These Risk Factors to Prevent Brain Inflammation

In my interview with Dhru Purohit of Dr. Mark Hyman’s Broken Brain Podcast series I talk about risk factors to prevent brain inflammation. Common symptoms of brain inflammation are brain fog, fatigue, memory loss, and depression. Many brain-based symptoms that most people think are a normal part of aging are not — they are symptoms…

Dear Doctor: One patient’s frank insight into brain injury, mental health, and chronic illness

Mathias is a patient who has been working with Dr. Kharrazian to manage his sports-related brain injury and related chronic health conditions. He has shared this as an open letter to all practitioners. It is posted here with his permission. This is a follow-up to my case history. It has been an intense struggle to…

Part I: The autoimmunity mind-body connection

(Click here to read Part II of the Autoimmunity Mind-Body Connection.) When managing a chronic health condition — pain, inflammation, hypothyroidism, an autoimmune disease — it’s easy to get caught up in the nuts and bolts of care. Strategies such as an anti-inflammatory diet, supplements, medications, sleep hygiene, exercise, and other functional medicine protocols can…

Part II: The autoimmunity mind-body connection

(To read Part 1 of the Autoimmunity Mind-Body Connection click here.) So how exactly do happiness, positivity, and socialization improve health? They profoundly influence stress levels, inflammation, and the release of feel-good chemicals, all of which play roles in autoimmune management. Social isolation, pessimistic thinking, toxic relationships, unhappy marriages, dead-end jobs, living a life without…

Stabilizing low blood sugar is key to many autoimmune, inflammatory, and brain-based disorders

One of the most common health issues I see in new patients is unstable blood sugar. Unstable blood sugar underlies many of the symptoms that autoimmune patients cope with, including exhaustion, insomnia, anxiety, depression, and brain fog. This is a relatively simple issue to remedy, and many patients don’t realize how deeply it impacts their…

Do you have a family history of Alzheimer’s or dementia?

Commonly mistaken for each other, Alzheimer’s and dementia are related, but not the same thing. Understanding the distinction between the two and Do you suffer from the following symptoms of brain fog? Perpetual mental fog Trouble concentrating or remembering things Life always seem difficult and tiring Depression Fatigue Lack of motivation If so, you may have…

Video: Free talk on underlying cause of depression and brain fog with Dr. Kelly Brogan, MD and Dr. Datis Kharrazian

Please join Kelly Brogan, MD and me for a recorded joint talk about the underlying causes of depression and brain fog. Click on the video above to watch the conversation. One of the most wonderful things about functional medicine is applying research findings clinically with often amazing results. And one of the most frustrating things…