UK Study Links Processed Foods to Depression

A study that followed 3500 participants over five years found that subjects who ate the “UK Diet” were more likely to develop depression.

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The UK Diet has a lot in common with the Standard American Diet - it’s high in fried, processed foods and high fat dairy products. Researchers found that participants who ate a diet rich in fresh fruits, vegetables, and fish had a much lower risk for depression at the end of the five years.

Head of strategy at the mental health charity SANE, Margaret Edwards, said:

Physical and mental health are closely related, so we should not be too surprised by these results, but we hope there will be further research which may help us to understand more fully the relationship between diet and mental health.

The study was prompted by earlier research that showed the Mediterranean Diet helped reduce the risk for depression. According to Dr. Archana Singh-Manoux, the UK study’s author, they wanted to do their own research because, “the problem with that is if you live in Britain the likelihood of you eating a Mediterranean diet is not very high[...]So we wanted to look a bit differently at the link between diet and mental health.”

Researchers think the link may be due to processed food’s inflammatory properties, similar to its role in heart disease.

If you want to beat the blues by working more fresh fruits, veggies, and fish into your daily routine, we’ve got you covered! Check out our Farmers Market Fare and general recipes for tons of ideas! Lisa’s tips for roasted fall veggies is a great, easy place to start! You might also dig Lucille’s recipe for Orange Beet and Lemon Zest Salad.

Do you have any good tips for getting the fried, processed food out of the kitchen? We’d love to hear suggestions in the comments!

[Via BBC Health]
Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by mrbling

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