Higher consumption of ultraprocessed foods is linked to a significantly increased risk of depression, according to a new study in the journal Clinical Nutrition.
The studied showed that those with the highest consumption of ultraprocessed foods had a 42% higher risk of developing depressive symptoms compared with those with the lowest.
The study was conducted in Brazil, where nearly 6% of the population has been diagnosed with depression and over 10% of the population is believed to suffer symptoms.
Brazil has been a major focus for researchers, because rates of consumption of ultraprocessed foods have increased dramatically in recent decades. There have been headline-grabbing stories about food giant Nestlé taking boats deep into the Amazon to bring ultraprocessed foods to isolated indigenous communities, with terrible health effects.
The authors of the new study took data from the NutriNet Brasil study, which included around 16,000 adult participants with an average age of 46 years. Of the participants, just under were 80% women. None had a prior diagnosis of depression or clinically significant levels of depressive symptoms at the beginning of the study.
Results showed that over 2,300 participants developed depressive symptoms during the study period.
On average, ultraprocessed foods accounted for about 22% of participants’ total energy intake. Among the quarter of participants with the lowest consumption of ultraprocessed foods, they got 7% of their total energy intake from ultraprocessed foods; whereas for the quarter with the highest consumption, ultraprocessed foods accounted for just under 40% of their total energy intake.
Participants with the highest consumption of ultraprocessed foods had a 42% greater risk of developing depressive symptoms compared to those with the least.
The authors also conducted a meta-analysis of six other published studies looking at the relationship between consumption of ultraprocessed foods and depression. This analysis revealed that individuals with high ultraprocessed food consumption had a 32% greater risk of developing depression compared to those with the least.
Ultraprocessed foods have become one of the main targets of RFK Jr.’s “Make America Healthy Again” agenda, which he will pursue as head of the Department of Health and Human Services, if he is confirmed in his nomination.
If you’re interested in learning more about ultraprocessed foods, read our detailed primer on the subject.