Be careful what you put on your plate. Mental health and nutrition are more closely linked than one might imagine. According to a study published on July 28 in the journal Public Health Nutrition, eat ultra-processed foods could be the hidden cause of your anxiety or depression. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine in the United States claim to have found a link between a excessive consumption of junk food and mental health symptoms more unfavorable.
A link between depression and processed products
Easy to prepare and convenient, these ready-to-eat foods are most often rich in fats, sugars, additives and colorings and quite low in nutrients. We are talking here in particular of the sugary drinks such as sodas, fast foods, crisps, candies, industrial pastries high in sugar and processed meats like burgers and sausages.
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If previous studies had already established a link between depression and processed productsthe US researchers point out that few reports have examined the total number of “poor mental health” days people experience after eating junk food to measure the link between “mild depression” and processed foods. They have thus succeeded in demonstrating in their latest work that people who consume the largest quantities of ultra-processed foods have no more “poor mental health days” and “anxiety days” than people who generally avoid these foods.
More symptoms of mild depression and anxiety
To reach these conclusions, the researchers calculated cases of mild depression, the number of days of poor mental health, and the number of days of anxiety among 10,359 adults aged 18 and older who participated in the US National Health and Nutrition Survey. The goal of this new study was to examine a nationally representative sample of American adults to see if eating ultra-processed foods increased the number of days of poor mental health some people. Their results show that people who consume the most ultra-processed foods, compared to those who consume the least, have a statistically significant increase in negative mental health symptoms of mild depression, “poor mental health days” and “anxiety days”.
Foods high in sugar, fat and salt
“The ultra-processing of food impoverishes their nutritional value and also increases the number of calories, because ultra-processed foods tend to be high in added sugar, saturated fat, and saltwhile being low in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals,” says study lead author Eric Hecht, associate associate professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine, in a statement. statement from the university.
Knowing that “more than 70% of packaged foods in the United States are classified as ultra-processed foods and that they represent approximately 60% of all calories consumed by Americans” and “given the magnitude of exposure to consumption of ultra-processed foods and its effects, our study has clinical and important public health,” he concludes.
Depression and anxiety: main causes of morbidity
“The data from this study adds important and relevant information to a growing body of evidence regarding the harmful effects of eating ultra-processed foods on mental health symptoms,” said study co-author Charles H. Hennekens. As a reminder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health nearly one in five adults lives with a mental illness. Mental illnesses, including depression and anxiety, are main causes of morbidity, disability and mortality.