April 25, 2023 – People who regularly eat fried foods, especially potatoes like French fries, have a better risk of tension or depression, in accordance with a brand new study.
Specifically, the outcomes showed that frequent consumption of fried foods was related to a 12% higher risk of tension and a 7% higher risk of depression. Men and young people were most affected.
The studypublished on Monday within the magazine PNASwas conducted by researchers at Zhejiang University in China. They evaluated data from greater than 140,000 people over a period of 11 years.
The authors suggest that one cause could also be that fried foods contain a chemical called acrylamide, which is created when some foods are cooked at very high temperatures. The researchers noted that acrylamide is linked to “anxiety- and depressive-like behaviors” which are related to brain inflammation.
An expert not involved within the study told CNN that the connection could possibly be because fried foods have a relaxing effect on individuals with anxiety or depression. However, the study didn’t prove a causal link.
“The human component of this study may show exactly what it claims: that higher intake of fried food increases the risk of anxiety/depression,” preventive and lifestyle medicine expert David Katz, MD, told CNN. “The causal relationship could, however, just as easily run in the other direction: people with anxiety/depression are increasingly turning to 'comfort food' to find a little relief.”
Fear and depression are clinical mental illnesses. Anxiety disorders are essentially the most common mental disorders, affecting as much as 30% of adults in some unspecified time in the future of their lives, in accordance with the American Psychiatric Association. Clinical anxiety problems are different from normal feelings of nervousness or fearfulness. Rather, they’re excessive and interfere with leading a traditional, productive life.
depressionalso called major depressive disorder, affects how an individual feels, thinks and acts, causing sadness or a lack of interest in activities that were once enjoyable. Depression can result in emotional and physical problems and affects an estimated 1 in 15 adults annually, while 1 in 6 adults will experience depression during their lifetime, in accordance with the association.