Depression's Physical Toll: How it Impacts Chronic Disease
Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health · Dr. Joseph Mercola
April 1, 202511m 23s
Audio is streamed directly from the publisher (traffic.libsyn.com) as published in their RSS feed. Play Podcasts does not host this file. Rights-holders can request removal through the copyright & takedown page.
Show Notes
Story at-a-glance
- Aside from being a mental health issue, depression also speeds up the onset of chronic illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and arthritis, making them appear years earlier than expected
- People with depression are significantly more likely to be hospitalized for serious physical conditions, with some illnesses requiring up to five times more hospital visits compared to those without depression
- Depression causes chronic stress and inflammation, which damage your body at a cellular level, weakening your immune system, increasing blood sugar issues and accelerating disease progression
- Poor sleep and gut health disruptions in depressed people worsen both mental and physical health, leading to higher rates of infections, digestive problems and metabolic disorders
- Breaking the cycle of depression and disease requires addressing the root causes with appropriate sun exposure, gut-supporting probiotics, deep sleep, stress management and mitochondrial support