Suckers, gummy bears, and candy corn have long been a staple, and famous psychiatrists say that one thing you should definitely do when you’re depressed is to ditch junk food.
“Gut health is critical to brain health,” California brain imaging researcher Dr. Daniel Amen said on TikTok last week. “For example, eating only ultra-processed foods dramatically increases your risk of depression.”
Researchers have long emphasized the importance of the gut-brain connection, the idea that the gut and brain are constantly communicating through a complex network of nerves and chemical signals.
The brain sends signals to the gut to prepare for digesting food, and stress can trigger signals that cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea.
Meanwhile, your gut microbiome (the collection of bacteria, viruses, and fungi in your digestive system) produces chemicals that can affect brain function and affect your mood.
Amen points out that more than 100 trillion microorganisms, primarily bacteria, make up the microbiome. He calls them “insects” and compares them to “pets.”
“For your gut to support your brain, you need to feed your gut bugs with healthy food, fiber, colorful fruits and vegetables, and healthy protein,” Amen explained.
Ultra-processed foods have gotten a bad rap for being high in calories, sugar, fat, and salt, and containing little or no vitamins or fiber. Junk food is associated with increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and cancer.
A 2023 study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that people who consumed nine or more servings of ultra-processed foods a day had a 50% higher risk of developing depression than those who consumed four or fewer servings a day. It turns out.
Artificial sweeteners and sweetened beverages in particular have been linked to an increased risk of depression, and researchers have found that these chemicals stimulate certain communications in the brain that can cause depression. Suggests.
A 2023 Gallup poll found that 29% of U.S. adults reported being diagnosed with depression at some point in their lifetime, and 17.8% of Americans said they suffered from or were receiving treatment for depression. .
Not only can depression affect your quality of life and relationships, but it can also increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety disorders, and substance abuse.
