2023-04-27 12:33:17
A team of scientists in Hangzhou, China, found that frequent consumption of fried foods, particularly french fries, was associated with an increased risk of anxiety and depression among young and younger consumers.
Eating fried foods was associated with a 12 percent lower risk of anxiety and a 7 percent lower risk of depression, compared to people who never ate them.
Fried foods are known risk factors for obesity, high blood pressure and other health effects. According to the study, published Monday in the scientific journal PNAS, these findings “open a pathway for the importance of reducing consumption of fried foods for mental health.”
However, the experts explained that the results of the study, which evaluated 140,728 people over 11.3 years, are preliminary and it is not necessarily clear whether fried foods cause mental health problems, or whether people with symptoms of depression or anxiety have resorted to eating fried foods.
The study also found that participants who regularly ate more than one serving of fried foods were more likely to be younger men.
According to previous studies, unhealthy food and poor diet can lower an individual’s mood and cause progression in mental health status.
In the new study, the researchers suggested that acrylamide, a chemical formed during the frying process, particularly in french fries, is responsible for the higher risk of anxiety and depression.
The researchers pointed to the recent rise in cases of depression and anxiety around the world, with 2020 seeing increases of 27.6 percent and 25.6 percent, respectively. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 5 percent of adults worldwide suffer from depression.
Notably, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and reducing consumption of fried foods may be beneficial for mental health as well as overall health.
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