If the link is already known with metabolic diseases and certain cancers, a new study evokes depressive symptoms.
As we know, over-consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with a greater risk of obesity, diabetes, or cancer, and cognitive decline.
This time, a study by Tasnime Akbaraly’s team, researcher Inserm at the Center for Research in Epidemiology and Population Health in Paris, sought to confirm a link between this type of diet and mental health.
An impact on mental health?
The researchers took as a basis a previous study which established that a Western-style diet, high in fatty foods and low in fruits and vegetables, was linked to an increased risk of depression.
The researcher explains the reason for her approach:
These products have been shown to promote oxidative stress and inflammation, and that they modify the intestinal microbiota or the expression of the genome. It is therefore not excluded that they have an impact on mental health, known to be sensitive to these different factors.
The framework of the study
And it is the data of a large British cohort (integrating British civil servants aged 35 to 55, hired between 1985 and 1988) that served as the basis for this study.
First, the proportion of ultra-processed foods in their total daily intake was calculated. Proportions divided into five groups corresponding to as many levels of consumption of ultra-processed foods.
Finally, the scientists analyzed the recurrence of their possible depressive symptoms during the 13 years of follow-up. The study involved 4,554 participants (including 74% men).
An additional risk of depression
Result ? The Inserm press release summarizes them:
Participants who ate the most ultra-processed foods (a third of their total intake) had a 30% increased risk of having episodes of recurrent depressive symptoms, compared to participants whose share of ultra-processed foods in daily intake was less than one-fifth.
The researcher believes that these results should encourage further investigation of the effect of different food processing methods, additives, emulsifiers and preservatives on our mental health.