How Your Immune System Impacts Your Feelings - AI Podcast

Story at-a-glance

• New research shows inflammation directly influences mood and behavior by sending chemical signals that activate anxiety circuits in the brain, helping to explain emotional aftereffects of illness
• Specific inflammatory cytokines stimulate neurons in brain regions responsible for processing fear, while anti-inflammatory signals calm these same neural pathways
• Scientists discovered that certain immune molecules function like neurotransmitters in the brain, influencing social behavior and emotional states independently of inflammation
• Blocking inflammation incorrectly backfires; it triggers more intense anxiety as the body produces additional inflammatory messengers that overstimulate fear circuitry
• Managing inflammation-related mood issues requires reducing linoleic acid (LA) intake from vegetable oils, supporting mitochondrial function, getting safe sun exposure, avoiding alcohol and monitoring emotional symptoms after illness