Depression is something of a silent killer and it’s a condition that’s only recently begun to get the attention that it requires from the medical community.
Chronic depression utterly saps your motivation and can make you feel like you’re unable to get out of bed in the morning. It affects the relationships you have with others and how you think about yourself.
In the most extreme cases, depression can even lead to people taking their own lives.
However, it’s also dangerous when that eventuality isn’t reached. Depression can play a role in several health issues developing.
What Health Issues Can Depression Lead to?
Far beyond being just a psychiatric condition, depression has direct links to a number of health conditions. These include the following:
Heart Disease
Chronic depression often manifests itself as near-constant feelings of anxiety and stress. This means your body’s creating more stress hormones. It’s also acting under the assumption that it needs to do more things to help you deal with stress.
For example, your body may begin producing more clotting agents. This would be a solution to the short-term stress of having a wound. But stress that comes from depression doesn’t have an open wound to heal. Thus, these clotting agents can cause clots to form in your arteries. This raises the possibility of heart disease and strokes. More stress hormones in your body also leads to higher levels of inflammation.
Diabetes
Increased levels of the stress hormone cortisol appears to have links to higher blood sugar levels.
Some research suggests that a combination of stress and these elevated blood levels is a leading cause of diabetes in those aged 65 and over.
Cancer
When you’re depressed, your immune system may produce more of a chemical called cytokines.
The problem with these chemicals is that they make it harder for your body to deal with malignant cells. This places those with depression at an increased risk of contracting cancer. Your body’s immune system isn’t acting as it should, which makes it harder to stave off the cancer-causing cells.
Osteoporosis
This is a medical condition that causes your bones to weaken and it’s often experienced by menopausal women. It can lead to a heightened risk of fractures and general weariness.
Unfortunately, the stress that often comes with depression rears its head again here. Elevated cortisol levels in the body can accelerate the development of this condition.
How Black Seed Oil May Help
The key may lie in Black Seed Oils anti-inflammatory properties.
A review of studies published in 2016 found that some studies suggest that Black Seed Oil can have an anti-depressant effect. It linked this effect to the ability of Black Seed Oil to combat inflammation.
It also found that thymoquinone, which is one of the most active compounds within the oil, may have a positive effect for those suffering with depression.
While this research is in its early stages, the evidence does suggest that you may be able to use Black Seed Oil to improve your mood and combat depression.
At The Blessed Seed, we offer the most potent Black Seed Oil available. Head to our online store to learn more.