Spanish scientists from the Autonomous University of Barcelona have discovered that consuming ultra-processed foods can increase depression and negatively affect the brain. The study was published in the scientific journal Journal of Affective Disorders (JAD).
Ultra-processed foods include sugary sodas and energy drinks, chips and other fatty and salty snacks, breakfast cereals, various fast foods (burgers, nuggets, etc.), and other products produced under industrial conditions using emulsifiers and other additives.
Experts examined 152 people with an average age of around 50. Of these, 89 were obese.
Volunteers filled out questions about their diet and depression symptoms and also underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to collect data on brain volume. Laboratory tests were also performed to measure biomarkers of inflammation, such as the number of white blood cells in the body.
Researchers have found a link between consumption of ultra-processed foods and increased rates of depression. Junk food also negatively affected the volume of areas of the brain such as the left amygdala and posterior cingulate cortex. These regions play an important role in food selection by processing information about past taste sensations.
Additionally, MRI showed a decrease in the volume of the left anterior part of the putamen. This region controls the ability to resist immediate rewards, such as delicious food, in favor of long-term goals, such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Scientists noted that processed food consumption may affect this motivation at the level of brain physiology.
Previously neuroscientists I learnedHow hunger affects our brain.