By Helen Regan
A growing number of scientists are coming to the conclusion that depression is at least as much a physical condition as it has to do with the mind.
One explanation is inflammation, which is caused by a part of the immune system that gets called into action when the body suffers a wound, the Guardian reports.
A set of proteins called cytokines sets off this inflammation in the body. This process is why people tend to feel down when they fall ill.
And so scientists think the brain may be tricked into feeling depressed through a process akin to an allergic reaction.
Read more at the Guardian
Read next: Most Cancer Is Beyond Your Control, Breakthrough Study Finds
More Must-Reads from TIME
- How Donald Trump Won
- The Best Inventions of 2024
- Why Sleep Is the Key to Living Longer
- How to Break 8 Toxic Communication Habits
- Nicola Coughlan Bet on Herself—And Won
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- 22 Essential Works of Indigenous Cinema
- Meet TIME's Newest Class of Next Generation Leaders
Write to Helen Regan at helen.regan@timeasia.com