10 Natural Antidepressants
Antidepressant #5: Exercise
While antidepressants are commonly used for the treatment of depression, exercise has also been found to be an effective treatment. Exercise starts a chain reaction that can result in many positive health factors such as improving sleep, decreasing risk against diabetes or heart disease, and lowering blood pressure. It also results in the release of endorphins or feel good hormones.
Sustained low intensity exercise triggers the release of growth or neurotrophic factors that allow nerve cells to grow and make new connections. This improves brain function. Neuroscientists have observed that the hippocampus among depressed individuals is smaller. Exercise helps improve the growth and connections in the hippocampus and can be beneficial for depression.
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