Breakthrough Research Links Bipolar Depression to Metabolism: How Diet Could Help
Metabolism and Diet Linked to Bipolar Depression, Say Researchers. Illness could be treated as a physical, rather than mood disorder, according to scientists in Edinburgh
Bipolar depression, a debilitating mental health condition that affects over a million people in the UK, may have a significant connection to metabolic disturbances rather than being purely a mood disorder, according to researchers at Edinburgh University.
Iain Campbell, a researcher with personal ties to the illness, advocates a new approach focusing on energy regulation dysfunction in the body rather than emotional imbalance alone.
Campbell, who helped establish the Hub for Metabolic Psychiatry at the university, explained, “We should be thinking of bipolar depression, not as a primary emotional problem, but as a malfunctioning of energy regulation in the body.”
Backed by the Baszucki Foundation and UK Research and Innovation, the new center aims to explore the relationship between bipolar disorder and metabolic issues like diabetes, as well as how disruptions in circadian rhythms may impact the condition.
A Metabolic Approach to Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar depression, historically known as manic depression, is marked by extreme energy fluctuations. Professor Danny Smith, head of the hub, emphasized that the condition often manifests physically with individuals experiencing both lethargy and manic periods.
Smith explained, “At times, people have no energy. At others, they simply have too much. They don’t need sleep. They are really active and do things that are out of character.”
The hub is exploring new metabolic treatments, such as ketogenic diets. Traditionally used for weight loss and epilepsy, the keto diet has shown promise in a study conducted at Edinburgh University, where 27 bipolar patients followed the diet for eight weeks.
“A third of them did very well. Their mood was more stable, they were less impulsive, and their depression lifted,” said Smith. One of the hub’s primary focuses will be understanding why some patients respond to the diet while others do not.
The Role of Circadian Rhythms
Researchers are also delving into the connection between circadian rhythm disturbances and bipolar depression.
Many individuals with bipolar disorder experience seasonal mood swings, with manic episodes peaking in spring and summer, and depressive episodes becoming more severe in autumn and winter.
Smith pointed out, “We all feel a bit gloomy in winter compared with summer, but it is a very intense experience for bipolar people. It’s a problem that emanates from disruptions to their circadian rhythms.”
To investigate further, the hub plans to grow retinal cells from bipolar individuals in the lab to study their sensitivity to light. This will help researchers understand why light and seasonal changes might trigger mood shifts in bipolar patients.
Using Technology to Predict Episodes
The team at the hub will also use radar sleep technology to monitor patients’ breathing, movement, and heart rate over long periods. This technology will help track sleep patterns and potentially predict manic or depressive episodes based on early changes in sleep behavior.
Smith stated, “Whenever they become unwell, we can look at how their sleep patterns are changing and find ways to predict future episodes.”
The goal is to uncover how metabolic, circadian, and sleep factors interact with bipolar depression and to develop treatments that address these physical aspects of the disorder.
By doing so, researchers hope to shift the way bipolar depression is treated, offering new hope for more effective interventions.
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