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Junk Food Linked to Depression

Fatty, refined foods jack risk by 58%

By Kate Schwartz,  Newser Staff

Posted Nov 2, 2009 9:53 AM CST

(Newser) – Feeling blue? Put down the cookies: Eating a diet rich (or, should we say, poor) in processed foods increases the risk of depression, a study finds. British scientists studied 3,500 adults over five years; those who ate mainly fried, processed, refined, high-fat foods had a 58% greater risk of depression than those who ate the least. And those who consumed mostly whole foods, produce, and fish showed a 26% lower risk than those who consumed the least of those foods, reports the BBC.

Researchers admitted they can't rule out the possibility that depressed people simply eat more junk food, but the subjects in the study had no previous diagnosis of depression. And they don't know why the link might exist, though they hypothesize that depression might be linked to inflammation, as it is with heart disease.

It may look tasty...but it may also make you blue.
It may look tasty...but it may also make you blue.   (?vo??ƒx™)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
drlarrymitchell
Nov 2, 2009 9:31 AM CST
Junk food doesn't make you depressed. depressed people eat junk food.
BlueAyez
Nov 2, 2009 8:13 AM CST
The term comfort food had to come from somewhere.
Derni
Nov 2, 2009 4:56 AM CST
So maybe we should estaqblish a relationship between Junk Food and Serotonin levels and possible depression first?

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