2023-10-18 13:23:46
Ultra-processed foods are already suspected of contributing to many health problems, including metabolic diseases. A new study supports, this time, the link between this type of food and the risk of depression.
Increasingly often blacklisted for their repercussions on health, ultra-processed foods (AUT) have nevertheless had plenty of time, in a quarter of a century, to carve out a significant part of our diet. They would represent between 15 and 30% of daily caloric intake in France, and up to 60% in the United States or the United Kingdom. Countries among those with the highest prevalence of so-called “civilization” diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, degenerative diseases or cancers, but also psychological disorders.
Ultra-processed food: what are we talking regarding?
But what is an ultra-processed food? Simple cooking in your kitchen is already an act of transformation of your food, just like mixing or seasoning. But TUEs go much further: they are the result of elaborate industrial processes causing them to undergo biological, physical or chemical transformations, and involving the addition of substances specific to the industry, including the famous additives — preservatives, colorings, emulsifiers. , etc. — with the aim of giving them their taste, their appearance or prolonging their conservation.
There is a classification called “Nova” which evaluates foods according to their degree of processing. It has 4 different levels. TUEs correspond to group 4 of this classification, where we find for example breakfast cereals, ready-made meals, many industrial bakery and butchery preparations, fast food and even preparations for infants!
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Synthetic sweeteners linked to increased risk of depression
The increased risk of depression linked to TUEs has already been revealed in young people. This new study (1) this time relies on a large cohort of nearly 32,000 women aged 42 to 62. From the outset, the researchers noted that the participants consuming the most TUEs presented, not surprisingly, the highest body mass indexes, the highest prevalence of comorbidities linked to diabetes, but also those who smoked the more and do the least physical exercise.
By analyzing the appearance, during the study, of 2122 cases of depression in the strict sense (clinical diagnosis and taking antidepressants) and 4840 cases according to a broader definition (diagnosis or taking antidepressants), they highlight a significant correlation between depression and using TUEs. One might of course argue that there is reverse causality, with the tendency towards depression potentially leading to increased consumption of junk food. But the study of the data over time (4 years apart) and the isolation of the different factors seems to refute this hypothesis, according to the authors.
It also emerges from an in-depth analysis that these are in particular the highest levels of consumption of artificial sweeteners (in both solid foods and drinks) which are associated with the highest level of risk observed within the cohort.
A beginning of an explanation of this harmful influence of TUEs and artificial sweeteners in particular, would lie in an increase in the purinergic transmission (or signaling) in the brainwhich is an inflammation factor commonly associated with depression, but also with epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease and chronic headaches.
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Under no circumstances can the information and advice offered on the Alternative Santé site replace a consultation or diagnosis made by a doctor or health professional, the only ones able to adequately assess your state of health.
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