Cleaning obsession could be making us more depressed

Researchers believe over-reaction may impair brain's ability to produce certain chemicals that make us happy.

LONDON: While many individuals may take pride in often making sure that their homes remain absolutely neat and clean, scientists claim such an obsession could be actually leading to a raised depression level among them.

Scientists have long blamed our overly sterile environments for increases in asthma and allergies. But now researchers believe that this over-reaction may also impair the brain's ability to produce certain chemicals that make us happy and this leads to depression, Daily Mail reports.

Scientists believe that eliminating bacteria and viruses has actually made our immune systems weaker, and this in turn has affected the functioning of our brains.

Researchers in Atlanta, Georgia, have studied how over-reaction, or inflammation, affects the brain by recruiting a group of 27 patients taking drugs to treat hepatitis C - which causes similar reactions.

They believe certain reactions may affect the brain's ability to produce certain chemicals including serotonin, known as the 'happy hormone'.

Andrew Miller, one of the scientists, said: "We believe the immune system is causing depression.

"As people develop and grow up, their immune system develops. If they are exposed to more bacteria and parasites, they are able to better control the inflammation.

"Nowadays people's environment is much cleaner and hygienic so our immune system never really learns how to deal with infectious agents. We are overactive because our immune system has not been trained.'

The researchers, whose study was published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, are now testing whether anti-inflammatory drugs could be used to treat depression.