Fight Depression: Increase Dopamine and Serotonin Naturally
Depression is a burgeoning problem all around the world. A whopping 264 million people of all ages suffer from this mental health condition. Whether it’s due to an increase in sedentary lifestyles, poor diets or general disarray, depression takes a toll on our physical health and could be precursor to a boost of autoimmune diseases.
What Causes Depression?
Depression may be attributed to a number of causes, but at the core, it all starts with brain function and brain health. Brain chemistry plays an important role when it comes to mental health disorders. There are many neurotransmitters in the brain, like dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine, that induce feelings of happiness. Depression usually stems when these are out of balance. Many antidepressants help level and balance these neurotransmitters, especially serotonin.
Depression and Infrared Therapy
In recent times, experts have found an interesting correlation between depression and infrared therapy. Far infrared therapy (FIR) has been used to alleviate and help with mental health conditions like PTSD, panic disorders, depression and anxiety. But how exactly?
Some studies find that infrared light therapy can release dopamine and endorphins and help stabilize the production of serotonin. Here’s how it works.
Infrared light causes many biochemical changes in the body, depending on exposure to how far, close or mild the infrared light is. Sauna users could experience an increased release of dopamine, endorphins (feel good hormones) and serotonin that will help stabilize mood and produce feelings of happiness and contentment as a result of the different wavelengths of infrared light at home. As a result of this, sauna therapy is heralded as a great, relaxing way to curb different depressive episodes.
Here are a few findings:
- Serotonin levels increased in a group of patients following infrared light exposure
- There as a drop in depression levels after 4 weeks of exposure to infrared light therapy
- Far infrared therapy alleviated appetite loss in patients with mild depression
Portable Infrared Sauna
The good thing is now you don’t have to take a trip to a spa to get access to infrared light therapy. There are several portable infrared models available in the market that help to release happy chemicals and reduce depressive symptoms to some extent.
The lie down infrared model has improved heat retention and helps to relax muscles, alleviating stress and promoting cell regeneration.
Infrared Therapy Lamp
The infrared therapy lamp uses the same effects as that of the relax sauna. Exposure to this light can equate the effects of staying in the sun, which acts as a mood booster itself. You can place this lamp in your room or office and get access to its benefits even when you’re inside!
Supplements
There are supplements that help to calm down your nerves and promote better sleep, which is a common complaint of people suffering from anxiety or depression. These mental function support pills induce a calm and relaxed mood. When used in conjunction, these therapies can have calming effects on the body, reducing depressive symptoms and promoting overall brain health and function.
