Why does junk food cause depression

The study was undertaken by researchers from Britain, Spain and Australia who examined 41 previous studies on the links between diet and depression. The researchers found that food that contains a large amount of fat or sugar, or were processed for too long such as junk food can cause inflammation in the body, otherwise known as systemic inflammation.

Recent research shows that inflammation leads to an increased risk of depression. The researchers saw that as depression levels increased, so did the amount of junk food eaten. People who eat high levels of junk food are also more likely to be single, less active and have other poor dietary habits, like eating fewer fruits and vegetables, and fewer healthy fats, like nuts, fish and olive oil. These results show that the impact of a poor diet has similar effects on depression as smoking, pollution, obesity and lack of exercise.

It adds to the growing body of research, which shows that what we eat may have an impact on our mental health. A diet containing lots of sugar can increase inflammation throughout the body and brain, leading to a higher risk of depression. Processed foods, especially those high in sugar and refined carbs, may contribute to a higher risk of depression.

The results seem to indicate that there is a switch in the way foods affect your body as you age - that once you reach a certain point, the antioxidants in fruit are more important and avoiding excess fats is less crucial. These results also suggest that previous studies analyzing the effects of foods across all age groups should be reexamined.

The varying effects across age groups could make an impact on the data. These 10 foods, for example, might help reduce anxiety and depression. View slideshow. Wes Avila to open a new Mexican restaurant in Hollywood next month. Andy Baraghani puts his bold, stylish spin on Thanksgiving classics.

All Sections. About Us. B2B Publishing. Published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, the findings have come from an analysis by researchers from Britain, Spain and Australia who examined 41 previous studies on the links between diet and depression. Bad diet heightens the risk of depression to a significant extent, she added. In that respect the impact of poor diet is like that of smoking, pollution, obesity and lack of exercise.

The research showed that poor diet has a likely causal link with the onset of depression and not merely an association. They did not find that their results were explained by people who are depressed eating more poor quality food, or that they were depressed to start with, she stressed.