admin Researchers have found that artificial sweeteners and ultra-processed food, such as those in diet drinks, may increase the risk of depression.
A recent study found that ultra-processed food is associated with an increased risk of depression.
Artificial sweeteners, in particular, were linked to depression.
The reason for this link is not known, but artificial sweeteners may trigger purinergic brain transmission.
Factors such as a disturbed gut microbiome or nutritional deficiencies may also play a role in a general sense.
By reading food labels and taking control of the preparation of your meals, you can reduce your consumption of these foods.
You’ve probably heard that “you are what you eat” is important for our physical health. New research by Trusted Source published in JAMA Network Open has shown that this phrase is also applicable to our mental health.
Harvard University researchers have discovered that ultra-processed food — described as “energy dense, palatable and ready to eat” — increases the risk of depression.
They found that artificial sweeteners and drinks sweetened artificially were associated with depression.
The authors of the study note that there are increasing numbers of studies linking diet with depression. There has been little research on the link between ultra-processed food and mood disorders.
A study that has not been conducted on the relationship between depression and ultra-processed food or ingredients, or when these foods are eaten, is also lacking. With the current study, the authors aimed to examine this question in greater detail.
A study on the link between ultra-processed food and depression
Participants were women of middle age who participated in the Nursing Health Study II. This large study looked at the risk factors associated with major chronic diseases among women. The study included nearly 32,000 people. The women in this study did not suffer from depression when the study began.
From 2003 to 2017, women completed food frequency questionnaires four times a year.
Researchers used the system Trusted Source to estimate the amount of ultra-processed foods they were consuming. This system groups food according to the degree of processing.
According to the NOVA System, ultra-processed food is ready-to-eat products made primarily or exclusively from foods and additives, with little or no intact whole foods.
The ultra-processed food was then divided into different categories such as sauces and fats, meat, or beverages.
Depression was defined as those who had been treated with antidepressants or who were diagnosed with depression.
The team analyzed the data to see if there were any changes in people’s consumption of ultra-processed food and if they had been diagnosed with depression.
Researchers identified 4,840 depression cases, but this number dropped to 2,122 if they used a more strict definition that required women to be diagnosed with depression and prescribed an antidepressant.
The study also found that people who consume the most ultra-processed food are at a higher risk of depression than those with lower consumption.
The risk of depression was found to be increased by artificially sweetened drinks and sweeteners.
Reduced intake of ultra-processed food was also linked to a lower risk of depression.
Why ultra-processed food might increase depression risk
When asked to comment on the possibility that ultra-processed food could be linked with depression, Dr. Daniel Atkinson is a GP Clinical Leader at Treated who was not part of the study. He responded: “The truth is we don’t really know.”
Atkinson explained that it is difficult to establish a link between the two. He explained that the term “ultra-processed” is, from a scientific perspective, a very broad and vague one, which encompasses many foods and ingredients.
Atkinson said that external factors are also involved and that just because a statistical correlation exists does not mean that one thing is the cause of the other. People who are stressed will often reach for the easiest thing, such as processed food. It might not be that the food is bad, but rather the fact these people are already depressed.
He said that the study seemed to address many of his concerns. “The suggestion of causality seems to be quite credible in this case,” he added.
Atkinson speculates that the ultra-processed food may disrupt the gut microbiome. Gut health is important for healthy cognitive functions. A disturbed microbiome can have a negative effect on mood.
Atkinson noted that a diet high in ultra-processed food is more deficient in nutrition than a diet that is less processed. For example, the Mediterranean Diet.
The Mediterranean diet is associated with improved health outcomes, including lower levels.
“Stress,” he said. It is possible that a higher level of depression could be caused by dietary deficiencies brought on by less nutritious foods.
Atkinson said that the study revealed that artificial hormones were a primary cause of the correlation.
Sweeteners, in particular, and not UPFs (ultra-processed food) more generally. This could help us narrow it down.
“… specific ingredients or processes most likely to have a positive effect on…”
The study authors stated that while Atkinson did not speak further about why artificial sweeteners may be the cause, there is evidence suggesting that these chemicals could trigger purinergic transmittal in the brain, which has been associated with depressionTrusted Source.
