8 Foods That Contribute to Anxiety and Depression

When university and medical school researchers from North and South America* set out to explore the theory that processed foods contribute to poor mental health, they found ultra-processed foods (UPF) to be the worst offenders.

UPF products are generally quick and easy to prepare or ready to eat out of their packaging, and they are often less expensive than whole foods, especially when they are available from generic or store brands. That helps explain why more than 70 percent of all packaged foods sold in the United States are deemed UPF, and those food products represent around 60 percent of all calories consumed in this country.

These include:

· Sugar-sweetened drinks

· Reconstituted meat products

· Packaged snack foods

· Chips

· Breakfast cereals

· Cookies

· Cake

· Bread

The researchers also collected data from the participants to measure three specific mental health symptoms: general mild depression, number of anxious days, and number of mentally unhealthy days.

They found that those participants who reportedly consumed the most UPFs had a significantly higher rate of mild depression and reported significantly more anxious and mentally unhealthy days. Food additives used in UPF, such as artificial sweeteners and emulsifiers, are linked to changes in the brain, increased inflammation, and altered metabolism. People who lack essential nutrients in their diet seem more likely to develop depression and anxiety than those who eat a healthier diet.

On the positive side people following healthy diets such as a Mediterranean-style diet that’s higher in natural, nutrient-rich, seem to have a lower chance of developing mental disorders!

Things to remember

• Commercially processed foods can negatively affect your mental health.

• Some foods are likely to affect your levels of anxiety and depression more than others.

• Common junk foods are the worst offenders because they contain too much sugar or unhealthy types of fat and nutritionally-depleted ingredients.

Source: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/cravings/202208/8-foods-contribute-anxiety-and-depression

How often do you consume processed food? Are you willing to make changes to your diet on favor of health?

#Nutrition #Anxiety #Depression #MentalHealth