Your Food May Be Causing You Problems?

Diet Rich in Processed Food Linked to Increased Risk for Depression

November 10, 2009 — Patients who consume a diet rich in high-fat dairy products and fried, refined, and sugary foods are at increased risk of developing depression, whereas those whose diet is rich in fish, fruit, and vegetables are at lower risk of developing depression, a new study shows.

The results suggest that diet should be considered a potential target for the prevention of depressive disorders, said the study's lead author, Tasnime N. Akbaraly, PhD, who completed the study while at the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College, London, United Kingdom.

Potential Mechanisms

There are several possible mechanisms that might explain the association between a processed food diet and depression, said Dr. Akbaraly. There is some evidence of a correlation between sugar consumption and the rate of depression.

In addition, the Western diet has been associated with higher risk of coronary heart disease and inflammation, both of which have been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of depression.

"Many processes such as oxidative stress processes, or insulin resistance processes, could be involved," said Dr. Akbaraly, adding that further research is needed to determine exactly how refined foods might affect risk for depression.

As for how a "whole" food diet might protect against depression, such a diet includes fruits and vegetables that are rich in antioxidants — nutrients that have been shown to reduce risk for depression.

In addition, the diet includes many foods including cruciferous vegetables, leafy vegetables, and other vegetables and dried legumes that are a rich source of folate. Previous research has shown that low levels of folate may affect levels of neurotransmitters that may be involved in depression. This diet also includes lots of fish, a source of polyunsaturated fatty acids that might also reduce the incidence of depression.

--------------------

It seems every other day some new study pops up and tells us something we more or less already know - watch what you eat! Or eat more vege and fruits and cut down on fast food and all that processed food like chips or keropok and soft drinks.

Being a fan of fast food myself, I can assure you that there is a way to get around this situation amicably. I believe that if you watch what you eat 80% of the time (as in eat plenty of greens, fruits and healthy lean meat and yes, avoid taking too much refined carbs), then you can let loose 20% of the time.

I once had a dinner with a professional rugby player, and he mentions that 6 days a week he maintains a strict nutritional regiment and 1 day a week he eats to his heart's desire. So assuming you eat 3 meals a day, that's 3/21 x 100 = roughly 15%. So for him its more like 85/15. Obviously we are not athletes and we have no need to follow their strict discipline, so I think we can cut some slack and allow ourselves 75/25. So based on this simple mathematical equation, if I eat KFC 5 times per week, that will mean 5/21 x 100 = 24% only and I still can have some extra wedges on top of that!

Colonel : Come dine with me 5 times a week! Heheheh!

This is something like the Pareto Principle, more popularly known as the 80-20 rule, which states that, for many events, roughly 80% of the effects come from 20% of the causes. An example is 80% of the land in Italy was owned by 20% of the population. Or 80% of your sales come from 20% of your clients. Or 80% of your illnesses is caused by....errr....hmmm....errrr....never mind. I don't think we need to dwell too much on that.