What exactly is happening in the body to allow changes in one to change the other?
More and more research is showing thathormonal shifts throughout the menstrual cycleimpact far more than just the reproductive system.
How Does Physical Health Affect Mental Health?
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One complex interaction between physical changes and mental health involved the interaction of estrogen and dopamine.
Estrogen downregulates dopamine transmission, mimicking the effects of certain antipsychotic medications.
But for people with bipolar disorder or other conditions involving psychosis, that can make psychosis symptoms better.
Reproductive hormones arent the only ones to be linked to mental health.
Research shows that interaction is a two-way street.
How Does Mental Health Affect Physical Health?
One psychiatric condition, schizophrenia has been associated with up to 10-20 years shorter life expectancy.
But theres a lot more involved in aging than just DNA methylation.
That adaptability is partly what can cause a snowball effect of mental and physical health symptoms.
Here are a few places you might start.
Make Regular Exercise a Lifelong Habit
The physical andmental health benefits of regular exerciseare hard to overstate.
All of those physical health benefits will, in turn, improve mental health because theyre interconnected.
But exercise also has direct benefits for the brain as well.
Theres so much conflicting information out there about what you should and shouldnt eat.
Notice where you are and what youre feeling right now.
Just be for a few minutes, maybe even for 40-45 minutes if you have the time.
doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2023.02.001
Centers for Disease Control.About mental health.
2023;321:115081. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2023.115081
WHO Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior.
Lange KW.Movement and nutrition in health and disease.Movement and Nutrition in Health and Disease.
doi:10.5283/mnhd.2
Harvard School of Public Health.Water.
Mayo Clinic Health System.1-2-3 approach to eat fruits, veggies.
