Daily Express - 30.07.2019

36 Daily Express Tuesday, July 30, 2019

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D

EPRESSION affects around
10 per cent of the
population at any given
time, according to the
Office of National
Statistics, and is now
second only to high blood pressure
among the most common
conditions recorded by GPs.
But while bereavement,
unemployment and illness are
common triggers for low mood,
experts say everyday activities,
from what we eat and drink to
spending too much time online,
could also contribute to you feeling
down. So what are the causes – and
what can you do about them?

TAKING ANTIBIOTICS
Certain antibiotics, including
quinolones and penicillin, are
linked to depression, say scientists.
A large Tel Aviv University study of
British patients found that taking
just one course of antibiotics can
raise the risk of depression and
anxiety by around a quarter.
And taking between two and five
courses raises the risk by nearly
half, they reported in the Journal of
Clinical Psychiatry. It’s thought that
disrupting the balance of bacteria in
the gut can harm the way in which
brain cells communicate.
Boost your mood: A major
proportion of your immune system
actually lies in your gut in the form
of friendly bacteria, and antibiotics
can wipe these out – automatically
weakening your immune system.
Restore the balance by promoting
the production of good bacteria
when taking antibiotics by eating

live yoghurt (containing

Lactobacillus, for example), but

also fermented foods such as

sauerkraut, kefir and miso. 

YOUR ONLINE ACTIVITY

Addicted to your smartphone?

Always online? Swedish researchers

found women who spent long hours

in front of a computer screen or on

their phones (up to 150 hours a

week) reported more

depression, possibly due

to sleep deprivation

and lack of face-to-

face communication.

And a separate

study by University

of Michigan

psychologist Ethan

Kross found a direct

correlation between

time spent on Facebook

and feelings of

dissatisfaction, loneliness and

isolation.

Boost your mood: Don’t use a

social network site when feeling sad

or dissatisfied with your present

situation as, chances are, it will only

make you feel sorry for yourself

and more depressed. Consider

deactivating your account

temporarily or unfollowing those

that make you feel the worst. And

pick up a bestseller instead.

Those who read books regularly

are, on average, happier and more

satisfied with life, according to a

study by reading charity BookTrust.

SKIPPING THE FISH COURSE

Large population studies have

confirmed a link between low

consumption of fish and an

increased incidence of

depression. In a

Norwegian study of

almost 5,000

volunteers, fish

eaters reported

having better mental

wellbeing than those

who did not eat fish at

all. It’s thought the

polyunsaturated fatty

acids in fish act as a mood

stabiliser.

Boost your mood: Aim to eat oily

fish – salmon, mackerel, kippers,

sardines and fresh tuna – twice a

week. Don’t like fish? Take a

supplement instead. A four-year

Canadian double-blind randomised

trial involving 432 patients found

that omega-3 supplementation was

Surprising reasons

Pictures: GETTY