A Processed Food Diet Can Lead to Depression

You already know that what you eat can affect how you feel physically, but did you know it can affect your mental outlook too? According to a new study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry, the typical processed food diet so common in this country may increase the risk of depression – one of the most common mood disorders experienced by Americans.

A Processed Food Diet and the Risk of Depression

A group of 3486 middle-aged people were asked to fill out a questionnaire outlining what types of food they had eaten over the past year. After five years had passed, they were asked to complete a questionnaire asking about signs of depression and a poor mental outlook. The results? Regardless of other factors such lifestyle, age, and marital status, those people who ate a processed food diet had a higher risk for depression. Those who ate whole foods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains were less likely to report being down in the dumps.

What’s the Association?

There’s little doubt that the foods people eat affect mood. One way foods alter mental state is the effect they have on neurotransmitter levels. Neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that promote communication between neurons and brain cells. When these neurotransmitters – particularly serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine – aren’t balanced, depression can be the result. Eating a healthy diet rich in whole foods may help to keep these neurotransmitters in better tune with one another so that symptoms of depression don’t develop.

The brain is also highly susceptible to oxidative damage and eating a processed food diet may increase the risk of depression by promoting free radical damage and inflammation. A diet consisting of whole foods would provide higher levels of brain protecting antioxidants. Researchers also believe that insulin levels, particularly insulin resistance, play a role in the symptoms of depression; and eating a processed food diet increases the risk of insulin resistance.

Other Evidence

A study published in Archives of General Psychiatry showed that eating a Mediterranean diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts reduced the risk of depression by thirty percent – further suggesting that whole foods may be superior to a processed food diet for preventing depression. Some studies have also shown that a diet high in omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil is helpful for people who are depressed.

The Bottom Line?

Replacing a processed food diet with one that emphasizes whole foods and omega-3 fatty acids could be a simple way to lower the risk of depression; and it certainly has fewer side effects than a bottle of prescription anti-depressants. Start by replacing some of the processed foods you normally eat with fresh fruits and vegetables. Gradually you’ll develop a taste for fresh, wholesome fare and it’ll be easier to give up your old diet. Just think of the physical and mental benefits you’ll get by making this simple change.