How fast food causes depression

All Sections. About Us. B2B Publishing. Business Visionaries. Hot Property. Times Events. Times Store. Prior to the study, none of the 12, volunteers suffered from depression. But after data from the study was collected, people became new sufferers. Many of those new sufferers had processed foods as a regular part of their diet. The British study, conducted by University College London, found similar results.

In the study, 3, volunteers were split into two groups, each with a different diet assignment. One half of the participants adopted a diet of largely whole foods, such as fruit, vegetables and fish. The other half ate mainly processed food, largely consisting of processed meat and fried food. The researchers found after five years of careful monitoring that those who ate mostly whole foods were at a 26 percent lower risk of future depression than those who ate lesser amounts.

The researchers used a mailed questionnaire to determine whether the person had been diagnosed with clinical depression or had been prescribed antidepressant medication during this time. The researchers collected data on other variables they thought might influence the relationship between eating habits and depression.

These included age, sex, body mass index, smoking status, physical activity level, total energy intake and healthy food consumption. They then adjusted for the influence of these variables during the statistical analysis. In total, 8, participants were included in the study. Participants with the highest consumption quintile 5 of fast food and baked goods were more likely to be single, younger, less active and have worse dietary habits than participants with the lowest consumption quintile 1.

When assessing the relationship between fast food consumption and the development of depression, the researchers found:. When assessing the relationship between commercial pastry consumption and the development of depression, the researchers found:. In other words, as consumption of fast food increases, so does the risk of depression.

This study has found an association between consuming high levels of fast food and baked goods and the risk of developing depression. Even though this was a prospective study, it cannot conclusively show that eating lots of hamburgers, sausages and pizza causes depression.

The tendency to consume fast food and develop depression may both have stemmed from some common factor, rather than fast food directly causing depression. For example, participants with the highest fast food consumption were generally all single, younger and less active, which may have influenced both their diet and their risk of depression. Overall, this study suggests that there may be an association between eating a lot of fast food or baked goods and developing depression.

It is, however, difficult to apply the findings to other groups of people, and it is unclear if the relationship would remain under different conditions.

Accept and close. Depression and diet may be related. Several studies have found that people who ate a poor-quality diet — one that was high in processed meat, chocolates, sweet desserts, fried food, refined cereals and high-fat dairy products — were more likely to report symptoms of depression.

The good news is that the people who ate a diet rich in fruits, vegetables and fish were less likely to report being depressed. These results are in line with other research findings that healthy diets help protect against disease. For example, studies suggest that people who follow a Mediterranean diet — which emphasizes fruits, vegetables and fish, and limits meat and dairy products — have lower rates of depression and other diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, diabetes and heart disease.

More research is needed on the connection between depression and diet. In the meantime, it would be wise to cut back on the less nutritious options and make healthier choices. Katherine Zeratsky, R. There is a problem with information submitted for this request. Sign up for free, and stay up-to-date on research advancements, health tips and current health topics, like COVID, plus expert advice on managing your health.

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