French fries and fried foods can increase the risk of depression

Eating a balanced and healthy diet is not only good for the body. Numerous scientific studies have now shown that mental health is also related to nutrition. For example, the Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of developing depression, as several studies have shown in recent years.

Conversely, high-fat, highly processed foods can also negatively impact mental health. A study from China now provides new evidence that regular consumption of fried foods such as French fries significantly increases the risk of developing depression or anxiety disorders.

For their analysis, the researchers from Hangzhou, China, observed the eating habits and mental health of more than 140,000 subjects over a period of about 11 years.

It found that those who regularly ate fried foods showed about a seven percent higher risk of depression and about a twelve percent higher risk of anxiety over the observation period compared to the participants who didn’t eat fried foods.

The research team wrote in the trade magazine PNAS that fried potato products in particular attracted attention. The risk of depression was two percent higher with these products than with fried white meat.

The scientists suspect that one of the reasons for this is that baking potatoes produces acrylamide – a chemical that is also produced in other starchy foods such as baked goods or bread during preparation or processing at high temperatures, for example frying and baking at high temperatures. temperatures. more than 120 degrees Celsius.

According to the study authors, taking acrylamide over a longer period of time may disrupt fat metabolism in the brain. This could lead to neuroinflammation – ie to inflammatory processes in the central nervous system – which in turn could trigger behaviors similar to anxiety and depression.

In a 2011 study, Spanish researchers already described the link between the consumption of certain food components and the occurrence of depression. Their study, which was published in the journal “Plos One” and involved more than 12,000 subjects, showed what influence the type of fat can have.

According to this, people who consume a lot of trans fats and saturated fats through their diet have an increased risk of mental illness. The researchers identified trans fats (TFA, short for trans-unsaturated fatty acids) as the greatest risk factor. These unsaturated fatty acids are formed when vegetable oil that is actually healthy is hardened through industrial processing. You can find them in French fries, crisps, pastries and a number of end products.

While the current Chinese study appears to support the assumptions of previous studies, it should be viewed with caution. Because it is still not possible to say with certainty whether certain foods actually cause psychological problems, or whether people with certain mental disorders eat differently and especially often eat unhealthy fast food such as chips.

This is also confirmed by Yu Zhang, one of the authors of the Chinese study, to the American broadcaster “CNN”: There is “no need to panic about the negative effects of fried foods,” said Yu Zhang. Nevertheless, he recommends avoiding fried foods for the sake of health and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Numerous studies assume that mental illnesses such as depressive symptoms stem from a complex network of factors that interact and influence each other.

In addition to hormonal, cognitive and genetic factors, the composition of the bacteria in the gut and stress can also play a role. Stress and depression inhibit the growth of benign intestinal bacteria, which increases the risk of susceptibility to stress, depression and an unhealthy diet. Conversely, food choice influences the composition of the gut bacteria.

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