Fried foods are linked to an increased risk of anxiety and depression

CNN
—

French fries – they are fatty, starchy and a comfort food for many.

But reaching for fried foods can have a negative impact on mental health.

A research team in Hangzhou, China found that frequent consumption of fried foods, particularly fried potatoes, was associated with a 12% higher risk of anxiety and a 7% higher risk of depression. higher than in people who did not eat fried foods.

The link was more pronounced among young men and younger consumers.

Fried foods are known risk factors for obesity, high blood pressure and other health effects. These results “open a doorway to the importance of reducing the consumption of deep-fried foods for mental health”, according to the published article. Monday in PNAS magazine.

However, experts who study nutrition said the results are preliminary and it’s not necessarily clear whether fried foods caused mental health problems or whether people with symptoms of depression or have turned to fried foods.

The study evaluated 140,728 people over 11.3 years. After excluding participants diagnosed with depression in the first two years, a total of 8,294 cases of anxiety and 12,735 cases of depression were found among those who ate fried foods, while fried potatoes in particular had a 2% increased risk of depression on fried white meat.

The study also found that participants who regularly ate more than one serving of fried foods were more likely to be younger men.

“The human component of this study may indicate exactly what it claims: that higher consumption of fried foods increases the risk of anxiety/depression,” said Dr. lifestyle who did not participate in the study, by email.

“However, the causal pathway could just as easily be the other way around: people with anxiety/depression are turning to ‘comfort foods’ more and more frequently for some semblance of relief,” Katz added, founder of the non-profit association. True health initiativea global coalition of experts dedicated to evidence-based lifestyle medicine.

Those with underlying symptoms of anxiety and depression might turn to comfort foods as a means of self-medication, he said.

Unhealthy foods and poor nutrition can alter mood and advance a mental health problem, as found in a preliminary study quoted in this novel.

In the new study, the researchers suggest that acrylamide, a chemical formed during the frying processespecially in fried potatoes, is responsible for the higher risk of anxiety and depression.

In a separate paper referenced in the new study, researchers exposed zebrafish to the chemical, finding that long-term exposure caused the fish to inhabit dark areas inside the tank, a common sign of a higher level of anxiety in fish.

The zebrafish had also shown a reduced ability to explore its tanks and socialize, as it did not swim closely with other zebrafish, even though zebrafish are known to school with their species.

“Zebrafish were presumably chosen…because they were already known to be vulnerable to acrylamide toxicity, and because their behavioral responses to anxiety are established and consistent – ​​providing one data source at a time. biological and behavioral,” Katz said.

Dr Walter Willett said the findings “should be considered very preliminary, especially the link to fried foods and acrylamide”.

“The health effects of fried foods will largely depend on the fried foods and the type of fat used for frying,” said Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, per e -mail. “Potatoes are a concern for possible mood effects because they can cause large spikes in blood sugar and then hormonal responses to those spikes. However, these spikes are partly mitigated by fat, which is believed to be provided by frying fat.

Willett also noted that acrylamide is not only produced by frying. It’s in coffee, because of the roasting of the beans, and in toast, because “heating carbs with protein can do it.”

He also said the zebrafish data “is difficult to interpret in relation to human health because we are obviously very different, and the authors acknowledged that.”

Zhejiang University researcher Yu Zhang, author of the study, told CNN in an email that “there is no need to panic. on the harmful effects of fried foods. But maintaining a healthy lifestyle and reducing the consumption of fried foods can be helpful for mental health in addition to overall health.

Researchers had pointed to a recent increase in depression and anxiety around the world, with 2020 seeing an increase in 27.6% and 25.6%, respectively. THE World Health Organization also estimates that over 5% of adults worldwide suffer from depression, as noted in the paper.

Looking at the effects of fried food consumption in humans and acrylamide exposure in zebrafish, researchers compared the two to suggest that frequent consumption of the chemical found commonly found in fried foods could have a negative effect on mental health.

Allack of variety in food has also been shown to decrease well-being, according to Katz.

“If takeout is necessary, it’s just that the overall quality of the diet and the selection of healthy foods matter deeply to all aspects of health — mental and physical,” Katz said.

Willett said there’s also the possibility of reverse causation — that people may change their diets because they have depression or anxiety. “These mood changes are, in general, more difficult to study because they can come and go, unlike a diagnosis of major cancer or a heart attack, the study of this scan was not designed to meet these challenges,” he said.