Consuming large amounts of ultra-processed food, especially drinks containing artificial sweeteners, is associated with a higher risk of depression, research has found.
Adjusting for other health, lifestyle and socioeconomic risk factors for depression, the research, published in US journal JAMA Network Open, found that those who consumed nine portions or more of ultra-processed foods a day had a 49% increased risk of depression compared with those who consumed fewer than four portions a day.
“Experimental studies have shown that artificial sweeteners may trigger the transmission of particular signalling molecules in the brain that are important for mood.”
Responding to the findings, Keith Frayn, emeritus professor of human metabolism at the University of Oxford, said: “The relationship between artificial sweeteners and depression stands out clearly.
Prof David Curtis, an honorary professor at University College London Genetics Institute, said: “The only foodstuffs which [this study] shows are associated with increased risk of depression are artificial sweeteners.
Prof Andrew T Chan, chief of the clinical and translational epidemiology unit at Massachusetts general hospital and co-author of the research, said: “The strength of our study is that we were able to assess diet several years before the onset of depression.
The original article contains 494 words, the summary contains 196 words. Saved 60%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Consuming large amounts of ultra-processed food, especially drinks containing artificial sweeteners, is associated with a higher risk of depression, research has found.
Adjusting for other health, lifestyle and socioeconomic risk factors for depression, the research, published in US journal JAMA Network Open, found that those who consumed nine portions or more of ultra-processed foods a day had a 49% increased risk of depression compared with those who consumed fewer than four portions a day.
“Experimental studies have shown that artificial sweeteners may trigger the transmission of particular signalling molecules in the brain that are important for mood.”
Responding to the findings, Keith Frayn, emeritus professor of human metabolism at the University of Oxford, said: “The relationship between artificial sweeteners and depression stands out clearly.
Prof David Curtis, an honorary professor at University College London Genetics Institute, said: “The only foodstuffs which [this study] shows are associated with increased risk of depression are artificial sweeteners.
Prof Andrew T Chan, chief of the clinical and translational epidemiology unit at Massachusetts general hospital and co-author of the research, said: “The strength of our study is that we were able to assess diet several years before the onset of depression.
The original article contains 494 words, the summary contains 196 words. Saved 60%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!