Conclusion of 15-Year Follow-Up Study: "Eating Processed Foods Increases Risk of Depression"

If More Than 30% of Diet Consists of Frozen Foods, High Risk of Depression
Lower Dietary Fiber and Higher Salt and Sugar Than Regular Foods
"Reduce Intake of Frozen Foods, Snacks, and Beverages"

A study has found that excessive consumption of so-called 'ultra-processed food,' which contains large amounts of food additives and undergoes processing, increases the risk of depression. Ultra-processed foods include frozen foods, snacks such as confectionery, and beverages.

Dr. Melissa Lane and her team at Deakin University in Australia conducted a 15-year follow-up study investigating the association between ultra-processed food consumption and depression among 23,000 adult men and women from Melbourne, revealing these results.

According to the research team, people who consumed the most ultra-processed foods had about a 23% higher risk of developing depression compared to those who consumed the least. Furthermore, individuals whose daily diet consisted of more than 30% ultra-processed foods showed an even greater risk of depression.

This study analyzed and considered all health-related factors such as education level, physical activity, and smoking.

Regarding this, Dr. Lane, who led the research, emphasized, "Ultra-processed foods are commonly consumed, but their association with depression has not been evaluated before," adding, "This provides additional evidence of the widespread harm caused by diets filled with low-nutrient convenience foods."

She continued, "Depression negatively affects daily life," and recommended, "Intake of ultra-processed foods should be reduced to less than 30% of daily consumption."

Low dietary fiber and high sugar and salt... significant negative health impact

A study has found that excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods such as snacks, confectionery, and frozen foods may increase the risk of depression. Photo is not related to any specific expression in the article.

Ultra-processed foods mainly refer to commercially available soft drinks, confectionery, frozen foods, and processed foods. Some types of bread are also considered ultra-processed foods if they are processed and packaged in factories, as they may contain many additives or preservatives.

These products are likely to have imbalanced nutrients, low dietary fiber, and tend to be high in sugar, salt, and fat.

The claim that excessive consumption of ultra-processed foods can be harmful to health has been frequently raised. Last year, a research team from Suzhou University in China tracked the mortality of over 60,298 people aged 40 and above registered in the UK 'Biobank' for 10 years and found that the group who frequently consumed ultra-processed foods had up to a 17% higher risk of cardiovascular disease compared to the control group.

Also, in December last year, Professor Sarah Burke from the University of Florida conducted an 8-year study on cognitive function changes among about 10,000 residents in Brazil and claimed that people who frequently consumed ultra-processed foods tended to experience a slight decline in cognitive function compared to those who did not.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.