Dr. José Luis Marín, mental health expert: “Walking or running for 15 minutes a day is more effective than antidepressants”

Dr. José Luis Marín is a respected psychiatrist and psychotherapist who recently appeared on the Roca Project podcast, hosted by Carlos Roca. During the interview, he discussed depression and ways it can be addressed without relying on antidepressants.

At one point, the interviewer asks whether “a person could be in a depressed state because of what they’re eating.”

Dr. Marín replies: “It’s not that they could be. That’s a fact, not some abstract idea. It has been clearly demonstrated. And what concerns me most, and makes me most uncomfortable as a physician, is what we call ignored knowledge. The fact that the microbiome is connected to mental health, and that the gut-brain axis plays a role in what we call mental health, is not speculation. It’s a fact.”

The effectiveness of certain activities compared with antidepressants

Dr. Marín also points out that “ultra-processed foods are also linked to the psychological manifestations of suffering. That is another fact. Poor sleep and a sedentary lifestyle are also very well documented.”

“Going for a run or a walk in the morning for about 10 to 15 minutes a day is more effective than taking antidepressants,” he states. “If that friend of yours was prescribed a pill, an antidepressant, I am absolutely convinced that with a few adjustments, even small changes in their life, they would not need to take antidepressants.”

Finally, Dr. José Luis Marín concludes: “In general, there is now a great deal of evidence, including from Spanish authors, professors of pharmacology and psychiatry, showing that a very high percentage of the antidepressants currently being taken in Spain, which is a country with high antidepressant use, are unnecessary. They could be entirely avoidable if we approached the patient differently.”

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