Bad eating can give you depression: study

AFP ^ | January 26, 2011 | Unknown

[decimon]

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Eating foods high in trans-fats and saturated fats increases the risk of depression, according to a Spanish study published in the US Wednesday, confirming previous studies that linked "junk food" with the disease.

Researchers also showed that some products, such as olive oil, which is high in healthy omega-9 fatty acids, can fight against the risk of mental illness.

Authors of the wide-reaching study, from the universities of Navarra and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, followed and analyzed the diet and lifestyle of over 12,000 volunteers over six years.

When the study began, none of the participants had been diagnosed with depression; by the end, 657 of them were new sufferers.

"Participants with an elevated consumption of trans-fats (fats present in artificial form in industrially-produced pastries and fast food...) presented up to a 48 percent increase in the risk of depression when they were compared to participants who did not consume these fats," the head study author said.

Almudena Sanchez-Villegas, associate professor of preventive medicine at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, also noted that in the event "more trans-fats were consumed, the greater the harmful effect they produced in the volunteers."

[Question Liberal Authority]

The government should not be involved, but trans fats are really bad for you.

I'm not disputing that. I'm saying there is almost no trans-fat in any fast food restaurant in America in the year 2011. It's all been purged. This notion that fast food is loaded with trans-fat is just flat-out not true any more. Burger King was the last hold-out and they stopped using trans-fat more than 2 years ago.

I worked at Burger King in the 1980's and we used vegetable shortening in the deep fryer, and margarine in the breakfast products. Those had trans-fat in them, but at the time, they were thought to be healthy fats, because they were not animal-based. (Some other restaurants used beef tallow, which was thought to be a step up from pig lard).

[Question Liberal Authority]

Lost over 10 lbs. and have never eaten clam chowder since.

Too bad. 5 more bowls and you could have written a best-selling diet book.

[freekitty]

Gee, I thought it was bad government.

[Harmless Teddy Bear]

What depressed person wants to spend the time to cook a healthy meal?

You are on to something. When my SADs kicks in I either eat what comes to hand or don't eat at all.

However I have found if I eat healthy (Light on refined sugar and refined flour, heavy on the lean meats and veggies) the rest of the time that the episodes seem to be lighter. Same with exercise. If I can get myself in the rhythm of light exercise daily SADs doesn't hit as hard or as heavy when it does hit.

The thing is that making those changes after depression hits is pretty close to impossible without help. You just don't care enough to do anything that takes any extra effort. However, bad eating, bad sleeping habits and no exercise will not cause depression. It just weakens you so you are more susceptible.

[ottbmare]

I think that eating a lot of crap food and not getting enough decent meat and protein can definitely make one depressed. I feel horrible when I eat junk carbs—I can’t think, I slow down, I get waterlogged, feel sluggish, etc.

[since1868]

It really does not matter if its a disease or a disorder.
The reason Dr. call it a disease is because it fall into the definition of a disease.
1 Trearable
2 Predictable
3 Progressive.
Like i said names, definition really makes no difference. But it is real and can be deadly.

[decimon]

I feel horrible when I eat junk carbs—I can’t think, I slow down, I get waterlogged, feel sluggish, etc.

I know what you mean. There was a time when going the low-carb route pulled me out of that and worse.

[ApplegateRanch]

I bet government grants are involved

...not to mention alcohol and drugs. *<];-')

[ApplegateRanch]

SAD is a summer disease.

In the winter, I can kick back, read and FReep, and enjoy the long, dark nights, snuggled in a warm, comfy bed.

I have so much “extra” work to do in the summer, just the though depresses me:

Firewood cutting & splitting; fence mending; plowing, planting, weeding, irrigating, harvesting; building/roofing repairs & painting; pruning; repairing/regrading the ranch roads....

Thank goodness the days are longer, or I’d never get it all done.

[Christian Engineer Mass]

Yes names do make a difference. People who get drunk are not the victims of a disease either.

The culture of excuses CAUSES these problems.