Hey, Let's Get the Mice to Exercise for Us!

As a long time runner, this story is not surprising in the least. Feeling down in the dumps? Take a long run on a short pier! I am here to attest that yes, exercise can cure the blues. So scientists have been putting mice through their paces to demonstrate that exercise produces a naturally occurring anti-depressant chemical in the brain. Extrapolating from the evidence: what's good for the mouse is good for us.

Read the story until the end to get to the punch-line: "Besides offering more support for the benefits of exercise, the findings also point to VGF as a target for new antidepressants, according to Duman and his colleagues. Such medications, they point out, would work by an entirely different mechanism than existing antidepressants, which are effective for about 65 percent of patients."

Now that's the ticket! I'm thinking the underlying assumption is that nobody is gonna actually get out there and run or jump or walk. Exercise takes time, and it's hard, and who really wants to sweat? Hell, this is just another great opportunity for the drug industry to create more product. We are living proof of better living through chemistry. Is this the Timothy Leary Legacy?!

I'm thinking in another time and place our Pharmaceutical Industry would be called the Snake Oil Business. I've known folks who have been stuck on anti-depressants for years, and well, I'm convinced the best drugs in life are free and/or illegal!

DISLCLAIMER: The author of the above post, and frankly all the other posts found on this site, imbibes massive doses of highly-concentrated java daily. This leads to states of euphoria, excessive dizziness, long unfocused rambles, and incoherent flights of fancy. Please read this blog with caution. After reading a post, if you experience any of the above symptoms, please consult a physician.