Studies finds a major link between fast food, sugar and depression.

by Mamamia Team June 30, 2015

Image via iStock.

Sugary food might be your go-to pick-me-up on bad days, but it could be contributing to your mental state in the first place.

A series of new studies have found a significant link between the sweet stuff and a disease the World Health Organisation says is one of the biggest burdens on society: Depression.

Around one million Australians currently suffer from depression and the new research published in the Journal of Health Pyschology suggests that what we eat could be a contributing factor.

Scientists at San Diego State University Research Foundation looked into the relationship between trans saturated fats (which you find in cakes and other fast food) and emotional regulation.

They found that fast food can make you depressed and less able to control your emotions.

Examining archival data of 1699 men and 3293 women that included their trans fat intake and emotion responses, the study found that those with higher intakes of trans fats experienced “difficulties with emotional awareness” and a lower level of emotional “clarity”. (Post continues after gallery.)

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Individuals with lower trans fat intake were associated with improved emotion regulation.

And that’s not the only evidence suggesting that what we eat can affect our mental health.

A study published this week in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, corroborates the new information, with researchers finding that high glycemic index (GI) diets could be a major risk factor for depression in postmenopausal women.

The GI index refers to a scale that ranks foods containing carbohydrate by how much they raise your blood sugar.

Looking at data from food questionnaires and a scale that measures symptoms of depressive disorders from postmenopausal women in the Women’s Health Initiative Observational Study, Columbia University Assistant Professor James E. Gangwisch and his team of researchers studied the results of roughly 70,000 women.

High GI diets could be a major risk for depression in postmenopausal women. Image via iStock

None of the participants had suffered from depression at the time of data collection but had their baseline measurements taken between 1994 and 1998, then again after three years.

The team found that diets rich in refined grains and added sugar, so higher on the glycemic index, were found to be associated with greater odds of depression. Added sugars in particular were strongly associated with depression.

Interestingly, they also concluded that some aspects of diet could actually have a protective effect against developing depression. These included fibre, whole grains, whole fruits, vegetables and lactose.

Although the researchers could only find an association rather than a mechanism, they believe that one possible answer is that eating too much sugar could act as a risk factor for inflammation and cardiovascular disease, which have both been linked to causing depression.

While it's been well publicised that a diet heavy in trans fats and sugars can have a range of negative health consequences such as high cholesterol levels that lead to heart attacks, heart disease and strokes, the effect on mental health is not as widely accepted. (Post continues after gallery.)

10 foods you never knew were healthy

Bread

KATIE THOMSITT, Dieticians Australia spokesperson says: "Lots of people shy away from bread to achieve weight loss. But bread is such an important source of fibre, and plays such a helpful role in weight loss and preventing bowel cancer. A couple of slices of a dark, seedy bread per day is absolutely fine."

Cheese

KATIE SAYS: "Cheese is definitely a higher fat source of dairy, but still a good dairy fat. Choose low-fat options if you have it regularly, otherwise consume it in moderation. One serve of dairy is 30g, so a couple of slices is absolutely fine."

Chocolate

KARA LANDAU, The Travelling Dietician says: "Studies have been able to show that dark chocolate can improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood pressure in healthy individuals, protect against heart disease, and improve HDL good cholesterol (not a bad start for such a tasty food!). Dark chocolate also contains polyphenols, whilst white chocolate does not. These polyphenolic compounds are able to relax blood vessels allowing for better blood circulation, and thereby assisting with the maintenance of healthy blood pressure levels."

Coffee

KATIE SAYS: "Coffee is a really good snack, in particular if its milk-based to get the dairy in - for example, a skim latte. As long as its in moderation - daily guidelines say a maximum of three per day! And you want lots of water on top of that."

Eggs

KARA SAYS: "Yes, even the yolks are good for you! Healthy fat soluble vitamins, as well as half the protein found in an egg, are all found in the yolk!"

Avocado

KATIE SAYS: "Avocado is a healthy fat. Lots of people think its high-fat and not good for you, but its rich in mono unsaturated fats, which give you protection against heart disease. It also helps with controlling lower cholesterol levels."

nuts

KATIE SAYS: "Nuts fall into the same category as avocado - they have lots of healthy oils and fibre."