A research has found that ultra-processed foods and artificial sweeteners like those used in diet drinks may increase your risk of depression.
Researchers at Harvard University have found that eating ultra-processed foods — which they say are “energy-dense, palatable, and ready-to-eat” — is linked to an increased risk for depression.
In particular, they found an association between depression and consuming artificial sweeteners and artificially sweetened drinks. It isn’t clear why this link exists, but artificial sweeteners might trigger purinergic transmission in the brain.
Read more: Here’s how bad processed foods are for health
The study authors note that there is increasing evidence linking diet to depression. However, little work has been done examining the relationship between ultra-processed foods and mood disorders.
It was additionally found that those with the highest consumption of ultra-processed foods had an increased risk of developing depression when compared to those with the lowest consumption.
Artificially sweetened beverages and artificial sweeteners, in particular, were found to be associated with depression risk. It was also determined that reducing the intake of ultra-processed foods was linked to a lowered risk of depression.
