McDonald’s Really Makes You Sad

A study published in the journal Public Health Nutrition concludes eating fast-food and commercial baked goods may increase the risk of being clinically depressed.

Those who consume fast-food were on average at a 51 percent higher risk of depression compared to people who consumed little or no fast food.

Researchers at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the University of Granada followed more than 8,960 people who had never been diagnosed with depression or taken antidepressants.

Results after a median follow-up of 6·2 years concluded a higher risk of depression was associated with consumption of fast-food.

The study also linked junk foods and commercial baked goods such as croissants and doughnuts with a risk of depression. “The more fast-food you consume, the greater risk of depression,” warned senior researcher Almudena Sanchez-Villega based on the findings.

Researchers stressed that people who eat fast-food regularly are more prone to have other unhealthy habits, which are tied to a risk of higher depression.

“Although more studies are necessary, the intake of this type of food should be controlled because of its implications on both health [obesity, cardiovascular diseases] and mental well-being,”Sanchez-Villegas suggested.

“Even eating small quantities is linked to a significantly higher chance of developing depression”

Another 2009 study published in The British Journal of Psychiatry claims eating a diet high in processed food increases the risk of depression.

Data on diet among 3,500 middle-aged civil servants was compared with depression five years later.

The study concluded those who ate the most whole foods had a 26% lower risk of future depression than those who at the least whole foods. By contrast people with a diet high in processed food had a 58% higher risk of depression than those who ate very few processed foods.

“This study adds to an existing body of solid research that shows the strong links between what we eat and our mental health,” said Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation.

“Major studies like this are crucial because they hold the key to us better understanding mental illness”

Evidence also suggests chemical food additives used to add flavor to processed foods, such as aspartame (NutraSweet), hydrolyzed protein, and monosodium glutamate (MSG), may be linked to a condition known as fibromyalgia — a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues.

Additionally, processed foods are contaminated with GMO’s in the form of genetically modified high fructose corn syrup, and other staple ingredients containing GMO’s.

Roughly eighty-five percent of the soy gown in the US is Roundup Ready, genetically modified soy.

And since soy derivatives, including oil, flour and lecithin, are found in the majority of processed foods sold in the US, whether we like it or not, we’re eating ingredients derived from genetically modified soy.