However, the Chinese study does not establish with certainty a causal link between food and mental health.
Frequent consumption offried foods is it likely to have repercussions other than physiological and metabolic?
This is suggested by a study conducted by Chinese researchers, who establish a link between this type of diet and the risk of anxiety and depressive symptoms.
A panel of 140,000 people
Published in the journal PNAS earlier this week, it is based on 140,000 people and a follow-up of eleven years. The authors of the study claim that people who regularly consume these fried foods face a “12% and 7% higher risk of anxiety and depression, respectively”.
Which products in particular? Sautéed or fried potatoes are the most concerned, with a “2% increased risk of depression compared to fried white meat”. But still, men and younger would present a “stronger link”.
Nerve inflammation involved?
Researchers suggest that acrylamide, a chemical that forms during the frying process, especially in fried potatoes, is responsible for the increased risk of anxiety and depression. It was with fish that they were able to observe signs of anxiety.
And they go on:
Long-term exposure to acrylamide induces anxious and depressive behaviors via oxidative stress-induced neuroinflammation.
Reverse causation?
But this link is fragile. Dr. David Katz, a specialist in lifestyle medicine, reports to CNN, which relayed the results of the study.
He first concedes:
The human component of this study may indicate exactly what it claims, which is that eating more fried foods increases the risk of anxiety and depression.
Before posing this theory:
However, the causal link could just as easily be the other way around: people suffering from anxiety or depression are increasingly turning to comfort foods to find some semblance of relief.