A recent study found that changing one's diet by reducing the consumption of ultra-processed foods and relying on healthy foods may help significantly reduce symptoms of depression, according to what was reported by the magazine "Focus", citing the specialized scientific journal "Jamma Psychiatry".
The results were based on a study issued by the University of California, USA, which included 20 people. The researchers believe that this study is the first to compare the symptoms of depression in the same participants before and after they switched from their usual diet, which relies on ultra-processed foods, to healthy foods, according to what was reported by the “Science Daily” website.
The study supervisors tried to determine the extent to which replacing ultra-processed foods with healthy foods contributes to alleviating symptoms of depression. The average age of the participants was 44 years, and 70 percent of them were women. Besides depression, 14 participants also suffered from anxiety.
The list of ultra-processed foods includes fast food, ready meals and sugar-sweetened beverages. These foods contain preservatives, flavor enhancers and other substances, which may cause harm to health.
It is noteworthy that previous studies have linked regular consumption of these foods to suffering from negative health effects. A previous study also linked depression to eating ultra-processed foods.
Depression is a common mental disorder that negatively affects a person's feelings, way of thinking, and behavior. As well as his world view. According to what was reported by the “Psychatri” website. Symptoms of depression range from mild to severe, and their manifestations vary from person to person.
These symptoms include: feeling sad or irritable. Loss of interest or pleasure. Noticeable change in appetite or weight. Sleeping for too long or too short periods. Increased feeling of fatigue or exhaustion. Also, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt. Difficulty thinking or concentrating. It is also difficult to make simple decisions.
The study participants were divided into two groups: one of them maintained their usual diet for four weeks, while the other group followed a diet that reduced ultra-processed foods to a minimum, so that their consumption decreased by 85 percent.
The study noted that after four weeks of reducing consumption of ultra-processed foods, participants showed significant improvements on three different measures of depression. Their anxiety level also decreased.
She added that one possible explanation for the relationship between these ultra-processed foods and mental health is their effect on the intestinal barrier, as their consumption may increase the permeability of this barrier, and cause low-grade chronic inflammation throughout the body, which may negatively affect the brain and nervous system, according to what was reported by the Hale Praxis website.
Study supervisor Dr. Nyasha Chagodera said: “Reducing the amount of ultra-processed foods in our diet may be difficult, because they are very delicious, cheap, and easy to prepare.”
She added: “Ultra-processed foods stimulate the release of dopamine, the happiness hormone, which enhances food cravings. Food companies are working with scientists to find the right amount of sugar, salt, and fat that makes you want to eat more and more,” according to the “Science Daily” website.
The same spokeswoman continued: “This damage to the gut can lead to chronic low-grade inflammation throughout the body, which either causes depression directly or makes people more vulnerable to it.” “Ultra-processed foods may harm the intestines in ways that extend to the brain,” she concluded.
