A Norwegian study has revealed that anti-depressants like Fluoxitine, more familiarly known as Prozac may inflict damage upon the human skeleton. The Norwegian University of Science and Technology’s (NTNU) researcher Bjorn I. Gustafsson has revealed that anti-depressants contribute towards impeding the activity of bone building cells, while raising the production of substances which lead to the breakdown of the bone mass. As many as 400,000 Norwegians use anti-depressants daily.
Gustafsson's research has focused on Fluoxetine, but other anti-depressants are believed to have similar side effects.Anti-depressants increase the amount of serotonin in the brain. Serotonin is an important neurotransmitter, and most of the body's serotonin is produced by specific cells in the stomach and intestinal system.
The research suggests that the anti-depressants affect the balance between bone producing osteoblasts, and osteoclasts that break down bones.
There are no records of long-term effects of anti-depressants on human beings, but researchers in the Netherlands and the US are trying to collect the relevant data.
(DPA)
