2023-09-23 09:21:00
London – Al Arabiya.net
Published on: September 23, 2023: 01:21 PM GST Last updated: September 23, 2023: 02:02 PM GST
After conducting a comprehensive medical study, specialized scientists discovered that sugar-free soft drinks that rely on artificial sweeteners (diet) cause depression, and this is in addition to other harms of this type of sweetener that previous studies have mentioned.
According to a report published by the British newspaper “Daily Mail”, and viewed by “Al Arabiya.net”, the recent study concluded that people who consume artificial sweeteners are more likely to suffer from depression compared to others who consume natural sugar.
This study was conducted by researchers at Harvard University and Mass General Brigham Hospital in Massachusetts, United States, where they evaluated the diet of more than 30,000 middle-aged women, and regarding seven thousand people were clinically diagnosed with depression.
The researchers said that consumption of ultra-processed foods, such as snacks, sauces and ready-to-eat meals, might be the reason behind depression.
In addition, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame – which the World Health Organization has deemed a possible carcinogen – have been linked to higher rates of depression. However, experts have warned that there is not enough evidence to directly link these foods to depression.
The research thesis covered more than 31,000 women between the ages of 42 and 62 years. The researchers asked them to complete questionnaires regarding their eating habits every four years. It is unclear how long they were evaluated.
The researchers used two definitions of depression: one “strict” and one “broad.” Whereas, “severe” is severe depression for which patients have been diagnosed by a doctor and regularly use antidepressants. “Extensive” is widespread depression and means that patients have been clinically diagnosed or taking antidepressants, or both.
Of the 31,712 participants, 2,122 people had major depression, while 4,820 people had widespread depression.
The researchers suggested that ultra-processed foods might lead to a greater likelihood of depression, although they are not sure why.
Researchers say that artificial sweeteners and artificially sweetened beverages have been directly linked to an increased risk of depression by activating certain compounds in the brain.
Dr Duane Mellor, a nutritionist at Aston University in Britain, said: “Researchers speculate that this may be due to the compounds reaching the brain, and this research provides no evidence to support this, and it is possible that people with depression may have chosen more sweetened drinks.” “, rather than being causal.”
Other researchers stated that although the results are promising, more research is needed.
Dr Charmali Edwin Thanaraja, a neurologist in Germany, said: “This study provides insight into the potential role of artificial sweeteners in mental and physical health, but this needs to be confirmed by further research beyond observational data alone.”
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