University of California San Francisco (UCSF) researchers decided to examine the relationship between depression and body temperature in a large-scale study. In this study, which was conducted to understand how depression occurs and how it can be treated, the body temperatures of 20 thousand 880 people were collected for seven months.
According to the results of the research, it was revealed that people with depression had higher body temperatures. On the other hand, this result reveals a connection between depression and body temperature; It doesn’t mean that higher body temperature causes depression or that depression raises body temperature.
Scientists are now investigating the cause of the connection
According to scientists, there may be several reasons for this situation and they are rolling up their sleeves to investigate these reasons. Reasons that come to the researchers’ mind include the possibility that the body’s energy use changes due to depression, the possibility that the body does not cool itself properly in depression, and the possibility that mental stress or inflammation may cause a similar effect.
On the other hand, hot yoga, hot baths or saunas can help reduce symptoms of depression. It is stated that the reason for this situation may be that the body rebalances its temperature by sweating. According to the results of the research, as body temperature increases, symptoms of depression also increase.
UCSF’s Dr. “As rates of depression increase, it is exciting to find new treatment methods,” said Ashley Mason. “Perhaps applying temperature treatments at the right time can reduce the effect of depression,” he said.
The research was published in Scientific Reports.
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