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Is it true that … mental health is affected by inflammation?

Studies have found that anti-inflammatory drugs can improve your mood. But what does that mean for conditions such as depression and anxiety?

Inflammation is the immune system’s response to injury or infection. If you cut yourself and the area becomes red and swollen, that’s inflammation: immune cells are rushing to fight germs and repair tissue.

But inflammation can also occur in the body during illnesses, and a low level of inflammation can arise from obesity or ageing. “A marker of that inflammation tends to be elevated cytokines in people’s blood,” says Prof Daniel M Davis, head of life sciences at Imperial College London and author of Immune Health: A Myth-Busting Guide. “They’re the molecules immune cells use to communicate with each other.”

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© Illustration: Becky Barnicoat/The Guardian

© Illustration: Becky Barnicoat/The Guardian

© Illustration: Becky Barnicoat/The Guardian

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‘It looked stunning on Joanna Lumley!’ 10 writers on their biggest hair disaster

From bowl cuts to extreme mullets, punk dos to bad dye jobs, a terrible hairstyle can never be forgotten – even decades after it has grown out

It’s the late 1990s. Big, round, feathered fringes are a huge deal at my primary school. Most of my friends have one, influenced by Britney Spears or Emma Bunton. I, too, have a fringe. Mine, as you can see, appears more inspired by Kevin Keegan circa 1993.

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© Composite: Guardian Design; James Kirkwood

© Composite: Guardian Design; James Kirkwood

© Composite: Guardian Design; James Kirkwood

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