Fans of fast-food and fatty pastries such as muffins or donuts may be more likely to suffer from depression, confirms research published by Public Health Nutrition.
Spanish scientists from the University of Las Palmas on the island of Gran Canaria and the University of Navarre in Pamplona have come to such conclusions after analyzing the data collected from nearly 9 people. people who have never had depression before and who have not used antidepressants. The study was carried out as part of the SUN Project, which is carried out at the University of Navarre, and looks at the effects of diet and lifestyle on health.
Information on eating fast-food dishes, such as burgers, hot dogs and pizza, as well as fatty pastries, including muffins, donuts and croissants, was collected using special questionnaires. The health of the study participants was assessed over an average of six years. During this period, nearly 500 of them either heard the diagnosis of “depression” or started taking antidepressants.
After taking into account other types of foods, scientists calculated that people who ate junk food frequently were at risk of depression by 36 percent. more than those who used it least frequently. The increase in the risk of depression was directly proportional to the amount of this type of food. “The more you consume, the more likely you are to become depressed,” explains Almudena co-author Sanchez-Villegas.
In turn, the largest amateurs of ready-made pastries had 38 percent. a higher risk of depression than those who consumed less.
As observed by the researchers, in the group consuming the largest amounts of fast-food and ready-made baked goods, there were more people without a partner, less physically active, with bad eating habits – eating less vegetables and fruits, fish, nuts and olive oil. Moreover, these people smoked cigarettes more often and worked longer, i.e. over 45 hours a week.
The latest research confirms the previous results obtained in 2011 as part of the SUN Project, which were published in the PLoS One magazine.
“While more work is needed on this topic, the consumption of this type of food should be controlled because of its negative effects on physical health, including obesity and heart disease, as well as mental health,” concludes Sanchez-Villegas.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 121 million people worldwide suffer from depression. This disease is one of the leading causes of disability. However, little is known about the role of diet in the development of depressive disorders. Previous research has indicated that certain nutrients may lower the risk of their occurrence. These are, for example, B vitamins or omega-3 fatty acids (which are present in marine fish or rapeseed oil). A healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean diet, appears to be associated with a lower risk of depressive disorders.