INFECTIONS AND MENTAL HEALTH

Infections may make us more vulnerable to depression. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen tracked the health status of more than 3.5 million Danes for 33 years to see how many times they were hospitalized for any type of infection and whether or not they were diagnosed with depression or another mood disorder. They found that a single hospitalization increased the risk of later developing a mood disorder by 62 percent. (click below to read more)

 And the more infections a patient developed, the more that risk increased, LiveScience.com reports. People who had an autoimmune disorder, in which the immune system attacks healthy cells and tissues, were also 45 percent more likely to develop a mood disorder—a risk that increased exponentially if they contracted an infection. Like autoimmune diseases, infections can damage brain cells and nerve cells, causing inflammation that may interfere with how those cells communicate and potentially reduce our ability to regulate our emotions. Experts say a healthy diet and regular exercise are the best ways to defend against both infection and depression.