Eating salty crispy chicken to relieve stress is useless! Will your mood get worse as you eat? Study: Fried foods increase risk of depression by 7%
Intake of too much fried food may not only affect your body shape, but may even increase the risk of depression? A recent study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) confirmed that the intake of fried foods is significantly associated with the risk of anxiety and depression. Research suggests that this phenomenon may be related to the chemical “acrylamide” in fried foods.
Does eating fried food increase the risk of mental illness? Study reveals “1 substance” may be the culprit
A research team from Zhejiang University in China conducted an analysis on 140,728 subjects. This group of people did not suffer from depression in the first 2 years of the study. The research team followed and interviewed them for 11 years and found that compared with those who did not eat fried foods, those who frequently consumed fried foods were more likely to suffer from depression. , the risk of depression is 7% higher and the risk of anxiety disorder is 12% higher.
In addition, the research team also found that fried potato products (such as French fries, hash browns, etc.) are more likely to increase the risk of depression than other fried foods (such as fried chicken, onion rings, etc.), with the prevalence increasing by approximately About 2%. The link between fried foods and the risk of anxiety and depression was stronger among men and younger people. The research team believes that a processed food product called “acrylamide” may be the main culprit in fried foods causing depression.
“Acrylamide is a compound that is produced when food is heated to temperatures above 120 degrees during frying, grilling or baking. The substance is a neurotoxin that has been linked to cancer in previous animal studies , which can easily lead to neurodegeneration and neurotransmission damage in the central and peripheral nervous systems,” said Wang Anli (transliteration), the lead author of the study.
Professor Wang Anli pointed out that previous animal experiments on zebrafish showed that long-term exposure to acrylamide can cause anxiety and depression in zebrafish. Specifically, acrylamide reduces the expression of genes related to the blood-brain barrier and can cause oxidative and inflammatory responses in any area of the brain. Although this study has the advantage of a large sample size, the link between depression and fried food still needs to be confirmed by more literature.
Why do you want to eat fried food to relieve stress during a stressful meeting? Intensivists reveal 2 possible causes
In response to the above-mentioned research, Dr. Huang Xuan, an expert in critical care medicine, pointed out in the community that for those who are prone to anxiety or depression, it is relatively important to reduce the intake of high-fried foods. Relevant experts suggest that eating habits can be improved by increasing the intake of “fruits” and “vegetables” and choosing “low-fat and low-calorie” foods, thereby promoting the development of physical and mental health.
As for why eating fried food makes people feel “less stressed”? Dr. Huang Xuan explained that when the body is under chronic stress for a long time, the sympathetic nerves are stimulated and release “neuropeptide Y”, which will cause the individual to arouse the desire to eat “fried food”. In addition, when you are under chronic stress for a long time, your body will secrete less hormones such as ghrelin and leptin, making you more likely to feel hungry, especially for high-fat and high-calorie foods. There will be very strong needs unconsciously.
Dr. Huang Xuan said that eating fried food seems to heal the body and mind, but in fact it only increases body fat and may lead to depression or anxiety, and falls into a “vicious cycle” in which the more you eat, the more you become stressed. It is recommended that before you have the desire to overeat, you can first divert your attention from fried food, such as listening to music, watching movies, or taking exercise measures such as jogging, cycling, yoga, etc., or simply chatting with relatives and friends, all of which will help. To combat the temptation of fried foods.
source:
“Eating fried foods increases the risk of anxiety and depression” - Dr. Huang Xuan
Western Diet: Implications for Brain Function and Behavior
The Mechanism of Acrylamide-Induced Neurotoxicity: Current Status and Future Perspectives
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