How to read the numbers: Risk = what to watch out for · Fact = a finding from research or biology · Term = a key term or marker worth knowing
With depression worldwide
According to WHO estimates, hundreds of millions of people worldwide live with depression, one of the leading causes of disability. If you notice prolonged sadness or loss of interest, do not hesitate to seek professional help.
Responsive to lifestyle
For many people with depressive symptoms, lifestyle changes bring noticeable improvement, though the exact share is only an estimate. Treat sleep, exercise, daylight and social contact as a complement to treatment – not a replacement – and do not stop medication without your doctor.
The neuroplasticity protein
BDNF helps the brain form new connections and adapt; lower levels are observed in depression. Regular aerobic exercise raises it most reliably – even brisk walking on most days of the week is a good start.
Modern psychiatry is still largely symptomatic — it treats symptoms, not causes. The biohacking approach to mental health looks for the biological root causes: inflammation, hormonal imbalance, nutritional deficiencies, a dysregulated HPA axis, disrupted circadian rhythm and mitochondrial dysfunction.
More than 40 meta-analyses confirm that depression is associated with elevated IL-6, TNF-α and CRP. Anti-inflammatory treatment (omega-3, curcumin, NSAIDs) has an antidepressant effect in the subpopulation with inflammatory depression. This is not an alternative to psychiatry — it is the biological foundation that complements it.
The biological foundations of mental health
Neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, GABA, noradrenaline) do not exist in isolation — they are products of metabolism, inflammation, hormones and nutrition. Tryptophan → serotonin → melatonin: a lack of tryptophan (protein), or its diversion down the kynurenine pathway (during inflammation), lowers serotonin. GABAergic support: magnesium, taurine, L-theanine. Glutamate/GABA balance: disrupted in anxiety and PTSD.
The HPA axis and inflammation — the hidden cause
Chronic stress → chronically high cortisol → downregulation of glucocorticoid receptors → cortisol resistance → dysfunctional regulation of inflammation → neuroinflammation. This is the biological path from chronic stress to depression and anxiety. Neuroinflammation damages the hippocampus (hippocampal volume is reduced in depression — reversible with exercise and antidepressants).
BDNF — the protein that repairs the brain
BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) is a protein that supports the survival, growth and differentiation of neurons — neuroplasticity. It is reduced in depression, Alzheimer’s, chronic stress and a sedentary lifestyle. It is boosted by physical activity (the strongest stimulus — HIIT and strength training), intermittent fasting, omega-3, curcumin, sunlight, social interaction and antidepressants (partly via BDNF).
Protocol — biological intervention
Testing: vitamin D (optimum 100–150 nmol/L), zinc, magnesium, ferritin, TSH (hypothyroidism = depression), testosterone (low T = depression in men), hsCRP. Omega-3 (EPA 2 g/day — antidepressant effect confirmed by meta-analyses). Ashwagandha (KSM-66) for HPA axis regulation. Rhodiola rosea for burnout and anxiety. Light therapy (a 10,000 lux lamp for 30 min in the morning) for both SAD and non-seasonal depression. Exercise is as effective as antidepressants in mild to moderate depression (SMMD studies).
