1.       Nearly 32,000 middle-aged women participated in the study, which analyzed their diets using questionnaires every four years from 2003 to 2017 and divided them into five groups based on how much ultra-processed food they ate.

2.       Although most food is processed to some extent, ultra-processed foods like packaged snacks and frozen meals frequently contain ingredients that aren't often found in home cooking, such as protein isolates, hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, and chemical additives. These foods are also already associated with a number of health issues, including obesity, cancer, and diabetes.

3.       The researchers evaluated whether there was a correlation between diet and the risk of developing depression while taking into account known or suspected risk factors for depression like physical activity, alcohol and tobacco use, other health issues, and age. They used two different definitions of depression—a strict version based on the report of a clinical diagnosis and regular antidepressant use, and a broader category requiring either a clinical diagnosis or antidepressant use.

4.       According to the strict definition, there were 2,122 cases of depression. The researchers discovered that women who consume the highest amount—nine servings or more of ultra-processed food daily—have a 50% higher risk of depression than women who consume the least—four servings or less—per day (it was about a third higher for the broader category).

5.       The researchers examined various ultra-processed food types and discovered a distinct relationship between artificial sweeteners and artificially sweetened beverages and depression, with the top and bottom fifths of consumers having a 26% and 37% higher risk of depression, respectively.

       One of the study's authors and a professor at Harvard Medical School, Andrew Chan, told Forbes that the results imply consumers, especially those who are experiencing mental health issues, "may wish to limit their intake of ultra-processed foods whenever possible."

TANGENT

Scientists do not fully comprehend the disease or its origins since depression is a complicated ailment. There is evidence that a variety of social, biological, and psychological variables, including as genetics, life events and experiences, physical activity, drug use, the amount of sleep a person receives, and other health disorders they may have, can contribute to depression. Although there is "scant data regarding what precise parts of food'' moderate that link, Chan told Forbes that diet is thought to have a significant influence in the likelihood of getting depression. According to Chan, who also noted that the study shows nutrition "is as important as other common factors we consider to influence mental health," it is difficult to rank the relevance of diet in relation to other aspects because there are multiple, highly individual components to mental health.

    WHAT WE UNDERSTAND

Due to the limitations of the study's methodology, it is impossible to determine why there is a connection between ultra-processed food consumption and sadness. The participants in the study, who were primarily white women and all between the ages of 42 and 62 at the beginning, limited the study's diversity, the researchers noted. Chan said more research was "definitely" required in "more diverse populations."

WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR

The gut microbiota appears to be contributing to the researchers' results, according to Chan. The trillions of microbes that inhabit our gut have recently been linked to a variety of conditions, including obesity, diabetes, allergies, inflammatory bowel disease, and cognitive impairment. As we learn more, we are starting to discover new ways to treat disease by modifying the microbiome using techniques like faecal transplants. "We are aware that the gut microbiota influences depression and that changes in nutrition are linked to changes in the gut microbiome. We are thus focusing on research that link the two, according to Chan.

ESSENTIAL QUOTE

According to Chan, it might be difficult to determine whether or not certain circumstances affect the likelihood of depression. It's possible that persons with depression just tend to consume a certain kind of food rather than that a certain diet influences depression. Chan described it as a "classic chicken vs. the egg problem," adding that the research has attempted to take them into consideration in order to identify food particularly as a significant element.

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