Processed foods and depression

In a UK study, people who ate a diet high in processed foods were 58% more likely to suffer from depression than those who ate the least amount of processed foods. This probably means that people who suffer from depression are less likely to look after themselves. But I haven't had a serious depressive episode since I cut back on my processed food intake, which was very heavy before I went vegan.


Depression link to processed food

Eating a diet high in processed food increases the risk of depression, research suggests.

What is more, people who ate plenty of vegetables, fruit and fish actually had a lower risk of depression, the University College London team found.

Data on diet among 3,500 middle-aged civil servants was compared with depression five years later, the British Journal of Psychiatry reported.

The team said the study was the first to look at the UK diet and depression.

They split the participants into two types of diet - those who ate a diet largely based on whole foods, which includes lots of fruit, vegetables and fish, and those who ate a mainly processed food diet, such as sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products.

After accounting for factors such as gender, age, education, physical activity, smoking habits and chronic diseases, they found a significant difference in future depression risk with the different diets.

Those who ate the most whole foods had a 26% lower risk of future depression than those who at the least whole foods.

By contrast people with a diet high in processed food had a 58% higher risk of depression than those who ate very few processed foods.

Mediterranean diet

Although the researchers cannot totally rule out the possibility that people with depression may eat a less healthy diet they believe it is unlikely to be the reason for the findings because there was no association with diet and previous diagnosis of depression.

Study author Dr Archana Singh-Manoux pointed out there is a chance the finding could be explained by a lifestyle factor they had not accounted for.

"There was a paper showing a Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower risk of depression but the problem with that is if you live in Britain the likelihood of you eating a Mediterranean diet is not very high.

"So we wanted to look at bit differently at the link between diet and mental health."

It is not yet clear why some foods may protect against or increase the risk of depression but scientists think there may be a link with inflammation as with conditions such as heart disease.

Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation, said: "This study adds to an existing body of solid research that shows the strong links between what we eat and our mental health.

"Major studies like this are crucial because they hold the key to us better understanding mental illness."

He added people's diets were becoming increasingly unhealthy.

"The UK population is consuming less nutritious, fresh produce and more saturated fats and sugars.

"We are particularly concerned about those who cannot access fresh produce easily or live in areas where there are a high number of fast food restaurants and takeaways."

Margaret Edwards, head of strategy at the mental health charity SANE, said: "Physical and mental health are closely related, so we should not be too surprised by these results, but we hope there will be further research which may help us to understand more fully the relationship between diet and mental health."

Could it be that when you eat processed foods you get fat and that is depressing? Or maybe you eat processed foods because they are cheap and you are poor and that is depressing?

MollyMormon wrote:

Could it be that when you eat processed foods you get fat and that is depressing? Or maybe you eat processed foods because they are cheap and you are poor and that is depressing?

i was thinking of the whole walmart culture of fast, cheap food being depressing and wanted to give a big "duh" shout out to whoever did this study.

now back to eating flamin hot cheetos and drinking my grape flavored drink.

Those aren't vegan but it sounds like a date I wouldn't want to miss. I am all addicted to salt and malted vinegar chips. But it has to be malted vinegar.

me no likey the malted.

chunky chicken wrote:

me no likey the malted.

Shut the Hell up.

eat a dick!

I just might.

you would, slut

Takes one to know one.

mmm, not in the case of sluts actually.

then how do you spot a slut?

chunky chicken wrote:

then how do you spot a slut?

this is a new thread i think:
"the how do you spot a slut" thread

Check out KitKat all "stay on topic" take your ass back to veggiboards bitch.

MollyMormon wrote:

Check out KitKat all "stay on topic" take your ass back to veggiboards bitch.

but but but, they scare me over there.

I know, I understand. Have a hug. Speaking of hugs, we need to get mr.s smiles on here.

MollyMormon wrote:

I know, I understand. Have a hug. Speaking of hugs, we need to get mr.s smiles on here.

who is mr. s smiles?

Smiles for the sun, or are you being obtuse?

I fully believe that processed foods can lead to depression.

This is part of the reason why I stick to a mostly raw food diet. You won't find any processed foods or packaged foods in my cupboards except for canned beans. All I have a raw vegetables, nuts.

Oh, and cereal, but it's muslix, so it's just oats, nuts and fruit. Processed somewhat, I guess.

Soy milk would be processed too.

I usually stick to this principle when shopping, if I can;t pronounce an ingredient, or know exactly what it is, it stays on the shelf. I don;t want chemicals in my body that I have no idea what they are.

Additionally, I keep this mentality... if cavemen ate it, then it is good for you. If it didn't exist in caveman days, then don't eat it. Of course I am not able to comply 100% with that mentality (Soy milk and muslix for example) but I try to.

MollyMormon wrote:

Smiles for the sun, or are you being obtuse?

obtuse my ass, you wrote Mr. s smiles. i thougth you were trying to get her husband on here.

You could make your own raw almond milk. And we should get Mr. Smiles . Screw her, abandoning us to breed and work and fix her house that was destroyed in a terrible storm.