Depression: The gut can also play a causal role
PMA-Zeolite & science
Depression is not temporary sadness or just a few bad days. People who suffer from depression, which can manifest in many forms and stages, are affected by much more than melancholy, lack of drive, and dark thoughts. Depression is a real and very serious illness that affects millions of people: According to current estimates – and with a strongly rising trend – in Germany1 about 10.8 percent of women and 7.6 percent of men are affected, and in Austria2 about 7.5 percent of the population. Therefore, depression is the subject of intensive clinical research, and increasingly the gut is coming into focus – and with it also Zeolite and the special variant PMA – Zeolite.
What Are the Causes of Depression?
The most common known causes of depression are a combination of genetic, biological, environmental, and psychological factors. These include family predispositions, chronic illnesses, traumatic experiences, ongoing stress as well as – often not sufficiently considered – imbalances of neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters play a central role in regulating various functions in body and mind and are especially important for mood, sleep quality, and appetite. If they become unbalanced, depression can result.
The Role of the Gut in Depression: How Our “Second Brain” Influences Mood
What few people know: our gut can play a decisive role in the development and progression of depression, since it is an important production site for neurotransmitters like serotonin that regulate mood. Around 90–95% of all serotonin in the body is produced in the gut, especially in the enterochromaffin cells of the intestinal mucosa. Also dopamine, vital for our reward system and motivation, is produced to a significant extent in the gut.
A healthy gut can therefore contribute significantly to mental health, while imbalances and inflammation in the gut are linked to an increased risk of depressive disorders.
The Foundation for a Healthy Gut: Strengthen the Gut Barrier & Promote Detoxification
Currently, much is being said about the microbiome. A healthy, balanced microbiome is indeed of great importance for mental health. However, only a healthy gut with an intact intestinal wall can host a balanced, functioning microbiome. Therefore, it is crucial not only to support the microbiome but first and foremost to strengthen the intestinal wall in order to prevent and treat depression.
A healthy gut forms the foundation for an intact microbiome and thus plays a central role in the prevention and treatment of depression. A healthy intestinal wall and a functioning gut barrier are essential to prevent harmful substances, toxins, and pathogens from entering the body.
The Importance of the Gut Barrier – Foundation of Mental Health
The gut barrier consists of a dense layer of epithelial cells held together by so-called “tight junctions.” This structure prevents harmful substances from entering the bloodstream. A disturbed gut barrier, also known as “Leaky Gut,” can lead to increased permeability, which raises the risk for systemic inflammation and chronic diseases, including depression.
Numerous studies also show that people with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) often suffer from elevated depressive and anxiety-related symptoms. Research has shown that up to 62% of people with diarrhea-predominant IBS and up to 50% of those whose IBS was triggered by a gastrointestinal infection exhibit increased gut permeability. This heightened permeability can exacerbate neuropsychiatric symptoms such as depression and anxiety.
First Repair the Gut with PMA-Zeolite, Then Build the Microbiome
It is important to first repair the gut and thus improve the intestinal environment. In particular, harmful substances such as heavy metals and toxins, which nowadays burden almost everyone, need to be removed from the gut so that the intestinal wall or gut barrier can heal.
The natural volcanic mineral zeolite is a first choice to repair the gut. However, not all zeolite is the same! The special PMA-Zeolite from PANACEO is refined by a special process (PMA = PANACEO Micro Activation) so that it can optimally perform adsorption processes in the human organism. In addition, PMA-Zeolite is a certified medical product, considered the leading active substance among the currently available zeolite forms, studied in numerous scientific gold-standard studies, and suitable for long-term use. Thus, it is crucial which zeolite you use to repair and strengthen your gut.
PANACEO MED DARM REPAIR – Your Path to a Healthy Gut and More Joy in Life
We recommend PANACEO MED DARM REPAIR as a course to heal and strengthen your gut – also with regard to additive, i.e. supplementary, treatment of depression.
- Regulates bowel movements and relieves typical symptoms of Leaky Gut and IBS (e.g. bloating, abdominal pain, inflammation).
- Supports the microbiome and strengthens the intestinal wall and liver.
- Bind selectively ammonium as well as harmful substances (e.g. aluminum, lead, arsenic, cadmium, chromium, nickel) for excretion.
- Creates the basis for the gut to produce sufficient serotonin again – important for mental health.
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Sandra Eisenwagen has been Head of Research and Development at Panaceo International GmbH in Austria since 2015. She previously worked as a consultant for nutrition and consumer protection at the FAO and the European Commission. She holds a Master's degree in Nutritional Sciences from the University of Vienna and studied Environmental Biology at the Università degli Studi Roma Tre as part of an Erasmus programme. Her expertise includes the development of food databases, nutritional sciences, food safety and microbiology.
