Poverty Causes Depression By Increasing Serotonin Activity

[haidut]

The conditions of learned helplessness and PTSD have many features in common and both of them have been linked to dysfunction of the monoaminergic system. There has been a lot of research over the last decade tying adverse life conditions in childhood to mood and memory problems as an adult. Unfortunately, most of the studies paint serotonin as the "good guy" and a main component of "treatment" for such conditions involves giving SSRI drugs. The SSRI drugs act mainly on the so-called serotonin transporter, which is responsbile for de-activating serotonin by removing from the synapse and storing it into the neurons. The SSRI drugs inhibit the activity of the serotonin transporter and thus increase serotonin activity in the brain. Btw, sodium is a co-factor for that transporter, so this is also why low-salt diet increases serotonin activity.
This study found that living in poverty as a child results in overmethylation of the gene that codes for the serotonin transporter, thus inhibiting its activity. This result in the same effects as taking an SSRI drug and increases serotonin availability and activity in various brain regions, especially the amygdala. As a result, people with decreased activity of this serotonin transporter display symptoms of depression when presented with threats, but also in normal life situations. The only thing that annoys me about this study is that it does not directly call out serotonin as the bad guy here. But we all know that when career depends on certain status quo, nobody wants to rock the boat too much.

Living In Poverty Can Impact Teenagers' Brain And Cause Depression, Study Says

"...We focused on SLC6A4, which encodes the serotonin transporter, because we already know a good deal about the importance of this gene and this molecule on stress-related amygdala function and behavior," Dr. Ahmad Hariri, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke, told Medical Daily in an email."

"...Building on this for the current study, Hamiri and his team focused on the process known as "methylation," which involves chemical tags to be attached to a stretch of DNA near the SLC6A4 gene. The more tags present, the less chances there is for this gene to be active and the less control it will have over the flow of serotonin, which is a mood regulator, in the brain."


"...At the beginning of the study, the teens were aged between 11 and 15 years old. As the study continued, the researchers collected information on the teens. The teens underwent brain scans as well as completed psychological assessments. The findings revealed that teens who grew up in poverty, had greater quantities of the chemical tags on SLC6A4 which is the gene linked with depression. The tags altered genetic expression in such a way that the more tags, the more each teen's amygdala responded to aggressive faces (as seen during a brain scan). Importantly, teens with the most active amygdala were more likely to report symptoms of depression as they grew older. "This is some of the first research demonstrating that low socioeconomic status can lead to changes in the way genes are expressed," said Swartz. "And it maps this out through brain development to the future experience of depression symptoms."

Serotonin transporter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"...This transport of serotonin by the SERT protein terminates the action of serotonin and recycles it in a sodium-dependent manner. This protein is the target of many antidepressant medications, including those of the SSRI class.[1] It is a member of the sodium:neurotransmitter symporter family. A repeat length polymorphism in the promoter of this gene has been shown to affect the rate of serotonin uptake and may play a role in sudden infant death syndrome, aggressive behavior in Alzheimer disease patients, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression-susceptibility in people experiencing emotional trauma.[2]"

 

[bobbybobbob]

Good that there's no such thing as poverty in modern America. Fortunately we don't have to worry about this anymore.

 

[haidut]

Good that there's no such thing as poverty in modern America. Fortunately we don't have to worry about this anymore.

You are being sarcastic, right?

 

[jaguar43]

Great find ! the social-economic system is absolutely part of health and biology. I remember a few years ago you posted a thread that soviet citizens had more dopamine and testosterone than western countries, if i remember correctly.

 

[DaveFoster]

High sodium consumption lessens learned helplessness in my experience.

 

[Tenacity]

High sodium consumption lessens learned helplessness in my experience.

'Salary' does derive from 'salt', after all.

 

[Drareg]

The conditions of learned helplessness and PTSD have many features in common and both of them have been linked to dysfunction of the monoaminergic system. There has been a lot of research over the last decade tying adverse life conditions in childhood to mood and memory problems as an adult. Unfortunately, most of the studies paint serotonin as the "good guy" and a main component of "treatment" for such conditions involves giving SSRI drugs. The SSRI drugs act mainly on the so-called serotonin transporter, which is responsbile for de-activating serotonin by removing from the synapse and storing it into the neurons. The SSRI drugs inhibit the activity of the serotonin transporter and thus increase serotonin activity in the brain. Btw, sodium is a co-factor for that transporter, so this is also why low-salt diet increases serotonin activity.
This study found that living in poverty as a child results in overmethylation of the gene that codes for the serotonin transporter, thus inhibiting its activity. This result in the same effects as taking an SSRI drug and increases serotonin availability and activity in various brain regions, especially the amygdala. As a result, people with decreased activity of this serotonin transporter display symptoms of depression when presented with threats, but also in normal life situations. The only thing that annoys me about this study is that it does not directly call out serotonin as the bad guy here. But we all know that when career depends on certain status quo, nobody wants to rock the boat too much.

Living In Poverty Can Impact Teenagers' Brain And Cause Depression, Study Says

"...We focused on SLC6A4, which encodes the serotonin transporter, because we already know a good deal about the importance of this gene and this molecule on stress-related amygdala function and behavior," Dr. Ahmad Hariri, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Duke, told Medical Daily in an email."

"...Building on this for the current study, Hamiri and his team focused on the process known as "methylation," which involves chemical tags to be attached to a stretch of DNA near the SLC6A4 gene. The more tags present, the less chances there is for this gene to be active and the less control it will have over the flow of serotonin, which is a mood regulator, in the brain."


"...At the beginning of the study, the teens were aged between 11 and 15 years old. As the study continued, the researchers collected information on the teens. The teens underwent brain scans as well as completed psychological assessments. The findings revealed that teens who grew up in poverty, had greater quantities of the chemical tags on SLC6A4 which is the gene linked with depression. The tags altered genetic expression in such a way that the more tags, the more each teen's amygdala responded to aggressive faces (as seen during a brain scan). Importantly, teens with the most active amygdala were more likely to report symptoms of depression as they grew older. "This is some of the first research demonstrating that low socioeconomic status can lead to changes in the way genes are expressed," said Swartz. "And it maps this out through brain development to the future experience of depression symptoms."

Serotonin transporter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"...This transport of serotonin by the SERT protein terminates the action of serotonin and recycles it in a sodium-dependent manner. This protein is the target of many antidepressant medications, including those of the SSRI class.[1] It is a member of the sodium:neurotransmitter symporter family. A repeat length polymorphism in the promoter of this gene has been shown to affect the rate of serotonin uptake and may play a role in sudden infant death syndrome, aggressive behavior in Alzheimer disease patients, post-traumatic stress disorder and depression-susceptibility in people experiencing emotional trauma.[2]"

Any research out there that demethylates slc6a4 ? I'm guessing many substances we already use.
Can't find much with a quick search.

 

[bobbybobbob]

You are being sarcastic, right?

No. The study talks about "socio economic status", which is basically code for living in socially dysfunctional families and neighborhoods. It's not about material poverty anywhere in America.

 

[narouz]

So we don't have to make America great again?
It already is great?

 

[jaguar43]

No. The study talks about "socio economic status", which is basically code for living in socially dysfunctional families and neighborhoods. It's not about material poverty anywhere in America.

Have you been to Camden, New Jersey Immokalee, Florida Welch, West Virginia or Pine Ridge, South Dakota ? It absolutely baffles me that you think socio-economic status is a code word, and not an objective reality. Even the republican party acknowledges that there are classes. Living in poverty is "material poverty". But then again, you are the one that proposed that Ray Peat was a "soviet spy" working for the KGB.

Poverty is general scarcity, dearth, or the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. It is a multifaceted concept, which includes social, economic, and political elements.

Poverty - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[bobbybobbob]

Have you been to Camden, New Jersey Immokalee, Florida Welch, West Virginia or Pine Ridge, South Dakota ? It absolutely baffles me that you think socio-economic status is a code word, and not an objective reality. Even the republican party acknowledges that there are classes. Living in poverty is "material poverty". But then again, you are the one that proposed that Ray Peat was a "soviet spy" working for the KGB.

Poverty is general scarcity, dearth, or the state of one who lacks a certain amount of material possessions or money. It is a multifaceted concept, which includes social, economic, and political elements.

Poverty - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I've not been to the Dakotas but I've literally been everywhere else you list. To the extent people suffer in modern America it is a spiritual and social problem, not one of material poverty. Nobody is short on dollars to eat and shelter adequately.

West Virginia is actually a pretty amazing place and I suggest people visit. Many people are dirt poor, a lot of them like drugs (for fun, like me), and by and large they have their ***t together and are fun people. There's an amazingly quality of life out in those woods; they're fighters and will be there ruling that land for a thousand years. A rafting trip down the New River is a great idea. I suggest anyone do it.

 

[bobbybobbob]

> proposed that Ray Peat was a "soviet spy" working for the KGB

I suggested the idea that Ray Peat may or may not have taken envelopes full of cash from the Soviets. This is happening at a far grander scale here and now under the American Empire, as has been happening for decades. You need to be aware of this dynamic. Don't be naive. The Soviets were in on the game 40 years ago.

Read a bit and know a bit about the world. Envelopes full of cash was pretty much how central america worked in the relevant era.

Personally, I am 50/50 on the question of whether Ray Peat took Soviet money. I don't actually care too much whether he did or not. The influence is certainly obvious.

 

[jaguar43]

I've not been to the Dakotas but I've literally been everywhere else you list. To the extent people suffer in modern America it is a spiritual and social problem, not one of material poverty. Nobody is short on dollars to eat and shelter adequately.

West Virginia is actually a pretty amazing place and I suggest people visit. Many people are dirt poor, a lot of them like drugs (for fun, like me), and by and large they have their ***t together and are fun people. There's an amazingly quality of life out in those woods; they're fighters and will be there ruling that land for a thousand years. A rafting trip down the New River is a great idea. I suggest anyone do it.

On one hand you say america's poverty is a "spiritual" and "social" problem. Which you have not yet defined.

On the other hand, you say that so many West Virginians are dirt poor and lot of them like drugs. Sounds like economic devastation to me. Then you say that they have an amazing quality of life.

This whole post is full of contradictions. You are not consistent on anything you say.

 

[bobbybobbob]

You sound like a party pooper. Have you ever had fun? You need to go to WV. They can help fix you up.

 

[jaguar43]

> proposed that Ray Peat was a "soviet spy" working for the KGB

I suggested the idea that Ray Peat may or may not have taken envelopes full of cash from the Soviets. This is happening at a far grander scale here and now under the American Empire, as has been happening for decades. You need to be aware of this dynamic. Don't be naive. The Soviets were in on the game 40 years ago.

Read a bit and know a bit about the world. Envelopes full of cash was pretty much how central america worked in the relevant era.

Personally, I am 50/50 on the question of whether Ray Peat took Soviet money. I don't actually care too much whether he did or not. The influence is certainly obvious.

Again, if you have any evidence regarding your thesis. Then I would be glad to see it. You say the influence is certainly obvious, but I don't see it. The whole cold war was blown out of proportion regarding soviet infiltration and influence. If anything the U.S was more responsible for the atrocities during that period. There was coup in every latin american country. Military dictatorships established across the world by yours truly. Millions of people died in Vietnam, Korean War, Iran-Contra affair. The list goes on an on. If anything it was the reverse.

 

[bobbybobbob]

If anything the U.S was more responsible for the atrocities during that period.

For sure. This is why the Russians have recently and wisely banned western funded NGOs. They remember what they did a lot of 30 years ago. Envelopes full of cash with ideological "suggestions." It's how the game is played. Don't be naive.

 

[jaguar43]

For sure. This is why the Russians have recently and wisely banned western funded NGOs. They remember what they did a lot of 30 years ago. Envelopes full of cash with ideological "suggestions." It's how the game is played. Don't be naive.

They banned NGO's precisely because thats how money is funnel to anti-government groups. The Maidan and Roses Revolutions were funded by U.S intelligence and pro "western" groups.. In Ukraine, there was a phone tapped by the ambassador to Ukraine and the state department literally debating who would "lead" the country. They are so sloppy they don't care if people know anymore.

 

[Drareg]

> proposed that Ray Peat was a "soviet spy" working for the KGB

I suggested the idea that Ray Peat may or may not have taken envelopes full of cash from the Soviets. This is happening at a far grander scale here and now under the American Empire, as has been happening for decades. You need to be aware of this dynamic. Don't be naive. The Soviets were in on the game 40 years ago.

Read a bit and know a bit about the world. Envelopes full of cash was pretty much how central america worked in the relevant era.

Personally, I am 50/50 on the question of whether Ray Peat took Soviet money. I don't actually care too much whether he did or not. The influence is certainly obvious.

What evidence is their for Ray Peat working for the Soviets?
Same nonsense was pushed on David Bohm, Bohm had to go work in Brazil. Bohm didn't buy in to the chimpanzee like behaviour and hubris of those in power.

Envelopes full of cash is the reason they want rid of cash, will be fascinating to see the corruption that comes out of this plan/idea.
The idealists behind it are the platonic ,gnostic and a few other esoteric misinterpreted philosophies, hiding in these organisations are people just mad for power, a bit like paedophiles who became priests.

The planet is turning into mania fuelled circus.

 

[narouz]

They banned NGO's precisely because thats how money is funnel to anti-government groups. The Maidan and Roses Revolutions were funded by U.S intelligence and pro "western" groups.. In Ukraine, there was a phone tapped by the ambassador to Ukraine and the state department literally debating who would "lead" the country. They are so sloppy they don't care if people know anymore.

On the other hand, who do you think is more evil? Russia or the U.S.?
I don't want to appear to be a naive U.S. nationalist,
who believes everything the U.S. does is great.
But, trying to be objective, I do think Russia is more evil than the U.S.
And not by a slim margin.
And I think Russia has a more aggressive and less restrained intelligence service.
So, from my perspective, what is the smart and moral thing for the U.S. to do?
Withdraw all intelligence and spy efforts from Ukraine--or Venezuela or any of the other countries
where--in my opinion--Russia is almost certainly extremely active and extremely ruthless?

If it is discovered that the U.S. had an intelligence presence and activity in Ukraine,
and if that presence had the goal of promoting anti-Russian meddling/control over Ukraine...
I'm sorry, but I can't work up much outrage or even surprise.
Not saying everything the U.S. does is innocent.
Just saying, in my best effort at an object take, Russia has a dangerous, corrupt government,
and a very aggressive and active intelligence service.
The world will not be a better place if Russia is allowed to have its way with things.
Should the U.S. just withdraw from the secret sphere and let Russia have its way?

 

[jaguar43]

On the other hand, who do you think is more evil? Russia or the U.S.?
I don't want to appear to be a naive U.S. nationalist,
who believes everything the U.S. does is great.
But, trying to be objective, I do think Russia is more evil than the U.S.
And not by a slim margin.
And I think Russia has a more aggressive and less restrained intelligence service.
So, from my perspective, what is the smart and moral thing for the U.S. to do?
Withdraw all intelligence and spy efforts from Ukraine--or Venezuela or any of the other countries
where--in my opinion--Russia is almost certainly extremely active and extremely ruthless?

If it is discovered that the U.S. had an intelligence presence and activity in Ukraine,
and if that presence had the goal of promoting anti-Russian meddling/control over Ukraine...
I'm sorry, but I can't work up much outrage or even surprise.
Not saying everything the U.S. does is innocent.
Just saying, in my best effort at an object take, Russia has a dangerous, corrupt government,
and a very aggressive and active intelligence service.
The world will not be a better place if Russia is allowed to have its way with things.
Should the U.S. just withdraw from the secret sphere and let Russia have its way?

It's funny you ask which I think is more evil. Because as Americans we should hold our own government accountable. I cannot speak on behalf of the Russians or the Russian government. However, we can compare a short amount of time in which historical events have taken place. How many countries has Russia overthrown since 2000 ? I know of none but I do know of the U.S overthrow of Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Egypt, Ukraine, and now trying in Syria. To answer the question objectively one has to put their anti-Russian rhetoric aside. Because thats what it is in the end. We first hated Russia because they were communist, now, what is our excuse ? Because their Russian ? Brzezinski is bragging that he wants to break up Russia into 68 different countries. Unless you have evidence that Russia is a threat to the U.S, then everything else is just propaganda.