What inflammation is really doing to your mind, body and 5 ways to protect your brain | Prof Ed Bullmore
6/11/202658 min
Could inflammation be causing low mood, anxiety, depression, or even affecting your risk of dementia? Emerging science suggests that inflammation in the body may change how the brain works. In this episode, Ed Bullmore, a Professor of Psychiatry at King's College London and a leading voice in brain research, explores why feeling low, emotionally flat, foggy or exhausted may not always be “all in your head”. Ed explores emerging science suggesting that inflammation in the body may alter how the brain works. He explains how inflammation can influence the brain and discusses why obesity, gut health, gum disease, menopause, ageing and stress may all play a role. He also examines why medicine has traditionally separated physical and mental health, and what this may mean for understanding the root causes of low mood. By the end of the episode, you’ll have some practical ways to support both brain and body health. Ed shares the evidence behind which exercise and diet matter most, and why discussing mental and physical health together may help you get closer to the causes of your symptoms. If your mood, energy and brain health are shaped by more than what’s happening in your mind, what might your body be trying to tell you? 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30 Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram.
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First 90 secondsJonathan Wolf· Host0:00
Welcome to ZOE Science and Nutrition, where world-leading scientists explain how their research can improve your health. [upbeat music] It doesn't always begin with an obvious illness. Sometimes it starts with a feeling that something simply isn't right. You wake up exhausted after a full night's sleep. Small problems suddenly feel overwhelming. Your patience runs thin. Motivation disappears. Maybe you stop calling friends back. The world feels heavier, as though your brain is struggling to keep up with life around it. Most of us would blame stress, burnout, aging, or modern life itself. But scientists are beginning to uncover another possibility, that inflammation inside the body may directly influence how we feel, think, and function. For years, I thought finding things difficult was just part of being an adult, a normal response to building a company, supporting a family, and carrying responsibilities. I was raised to believe that emotions were private, that tiredness was weakness, and that the mind and body lived in entirely separate worlds. So like many people, I became very good at appearing fine on the outside while feeling flat and exhausted on the inside. But over the last few years, I've started to question that story. What if the way we feel is deeply connected to our physical health? To stress,