Researchers have discovered that certain chemical imbalances in the brain may help explain the higher risk of depression in teenage girls compared to boys.
They specifically highlighted the role of a chemical called tryptophan, an essential amino acid found in foods like turkey, chicken, eggs, milk, nuts, and seeds. Tryptophan is used by the body to produce serotonin, a brain chemical that influences mood, sleep, and happiness.
When tryptophan is broken down in the brain, it can lead to the production of beneficial chemicals like kynurenic acid, as well as harmful chemicals.
A study by scientists from King’s College London analyzed blood and depression symptoms in Brazilian teenagers aged 14-16, linking these chemicals with depression in both genders.
According to Professor Valeria Mondeli, senior author and Kings’ clinical professor of psychoimmune, adolescence is a time of significant changes with little understanding of the biological factors contributing to depression differences between teenage boys and girls.
The researchers found that girls at high risk of depression had lower levels of brain health kynurenic acid compared to low-risk individuals, indicating potential harm from tryptophan breakdown.
Girls and women are twice as likely to experience depression compared to men, and the researchers suggested this may be linked to the unbalanced kynurenine pathway’s effects on the brain.
Dr. Nagum Nickhesrat, the first author of the study, expressed hope that the findings could lead to better support for teenagers with depression, possibly through drugs targeting the kynurenine pathway.
Understanding the kynurenine pathway’s role in depression development during teenage years could provide insight into better management strategies for depression.
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Source: www.sciencefocus.com