Harvard researchers have found that M. morganii may contribute to depression by producing an inflammatory molecule.
- Biochemical analyses reveal how the gut bacterium Morganella morganii may contribute to some cases of major depressive disorder.
- The bacterium incorporates an environmental contaminant into one of its molecules, triggering inflammation — a known factor in disease development.
- These findings suggest the contaminant could serve as a biomarker and further support the idea that major depressive disorder may have autoimmune connections.
phughes@lemmy.ca 2 weeks ago
Considering how prevalent depression is I wonder how long it will be before we find out that a common processed food additive enhances the growth of Morganella morganii over other bacteria.
astronaut_sloth@mander.xyz 2 weeks ago
I was reading something similar a few months ago about how the American obesity epidemic came out of nowhere and exploded in the 20th and 21st centuries, and places with the highest antibiotic use also has a correlated obesity rate.
I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of our modern chronic issues that seemed to come from nowhere (not that they didn’t exist before but just became much more prevalent) will be traced in some way back to effects from messing with the human microbiome.
MelodiousFunk@slrpnk.net 2 weeks ago
As a lifelong fattie, I have been assured for decades that all I have to do is eat right and exercise but I’m just too lazy so I deserve what I get. Tiny invisible creatures can affect my health? Next thing you’ll be telling me is that having my outhouse next to the well is causing my family to get sick. We both know it’s demons. FFS.
Please excuse me while I crawl back into my depression hole, partially mitigated by SSRIs, which somehow also induce GI issues for reasons completely unknown to science. Can’t wait for RFK’s camps, maybe I can finally get healthy there.