How organs affect mental health by causing brain changes, study finds

Poor organ health leads to poor mental health by bringing changes in brain which cause or worsen depression or anxiety, according to a study that looked at the interconnectedness of the brain, body and lifestyle.

“By looking at brain imaging and clinical data of over 18,000 people, we were able to establish for the first time multiple pathways involving the brain as a mediating factor and through which poor physical health of body organ systems may lead to poor mental health,” lead author Ye Ella Tian, a research fellow at The University of Melbourne, Australia, said.

The researchers studied body systems involving organs such as the lungs, heart, liver, along with those related to metabolism and immunity. Data for their analysis, published in the journal Nature Mental Health, was taken from UK Biobank. Of the over 18,000 participants studied, more than 10,000 reported being diagnosed with a mental health condition such as depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder.

The researchers studied body systems involving organs such as the lungs, heart, liver, along with those related to metabolism and immunity. (Source: Freepik)

“For each of the seven organ systems (analysed), we found that poorer organ health was significantly associated with higher depressive (and anxiety) symptoms,” the authors wrote. They found that even though the extent to which the brain mediates physical-mental health across organ systems differed, “in general, (it) showed a strong mediating effect on organs that had strong direct effects on mental health outcomes; namely, the musculoskeletal and immune systems.”

The team also examined lifestyle factors such as exercise, diet and drinking alcohol, as well as education and socioeconomic status, and their impact on mental health through their effects on the physical body and the brain. “We showed that some lifestyle factors, such as physical activity, sleep and diet influence mental health by affecting the physiological function of multiple organ and brain systems,” the authors wrote.

They said that adopting behaviours based on these aspects is likely to yield improved mental health outcomes for most people. The study’s results are important, because while it is known in healthcare that body organs and systems affect each other, the knowledge is rarely reflected in scientific studies, according to author James Cole from the University College London.

“So, it’s exciting to see these results, as (the study) really emphases the value in combining measures from different parts of the body together,” Cole said. “Our work provides a holistic characterisation of brain, body, lifestyle and mental health,” Tian said.

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