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Mar 17, 2023 · Discover which foods and drinks can contribute to anxiety and which ones can help reduce symptoms. Read our expert guide on managing anxiety through your diet.
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- Foods that can cause anxiety. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, almost a third of Americans have an anxiety disorder at some point during their lifetime.
- Coffee. The connection between coffee and anxiety may not seem that surprising, but it bears repeating, especially because so many other foods and drinks contain caffeine.
- Energy drinks. Speaking of caffeine and energy drinks, these popular products can contain pure, concentrated caffeine. A two-ounce shot of five-hour energy, for instance, contains 200 milligrams of caffeine, about the same as a Starbucks Cold Brew.
- White bread. Or white rice or white pasta. All these items are processed and contain refined sugars which, in general, are a no-no for a healthy diet and can affect your mood.
- Fruit Juice. The fiber in whole fruit fills you up and slows down how your blood takes in energy. Without that fiber, you’re just drinking nutritious sugar-water that can quickly hype you up -- and bring you down just as fast.
- Regular Soda. There's no win for you here: It has all of the blood-spiking sugar of fruit juice with none of the nutrition. Sugar-sweetened drinks like soda have a direct link to depression, too.
- Diet Soda. No sugar, so no problem, right? Not exactly. You may not have the energy crash that comes with having too much sugar, but diet soda may make you depressed.
- Toast. Wait, toast?! If it's made from white bread, yes. The highly processed white flour it's made from quickly turns to blood sugar after you eat it.
- Overview
- Analyzing the effect of fried food
- How fried foods link to depression and anxiety
- Study limitations
- Foods for better mental health
- Implications
•Researchers investigated the effects of fried foods on depression and anxiety.
•They found that regular consumption of fried foods is linked to higher levels of depression and anxiety in humans.
•Further studies are needed to understand the underlying mechanisms of these effects.
Anxiety and depression are the most prevalent mental disorders worldwide.
Fried foods are a major part of the Western diet and are increasing worldwide. Previous studies have found that consuming fried or processed foods, sugary products, and beer is linked to a higher risk of depression and anxiety.
Research also shows that the frying process may change the nutrient composition of foods and produce harmful chemicals. Frying carbohydrates such as potatoes, for example, generate acrylamide, which has been linked to obesity, metabolic syndrome, and neurological disorders.
To begin, the researchers analyzed data from 140,728 people from the UK Biobank. Data included fried food consumption and incidence of anxiety and depression during an average follow-up period of 11.3 years.
By the end of the study period, the researchers identified 8,294 cases of anxiety and 12,735 cases of depression.
Overall, they found that those consuming more than one serving of fried food per day had a 12% higher risk of anxiety and a 7% higher risk for depression than non-consumers.
Frequent consumers of fried food were most likely to be males, younger and active smokers.
Next, the researchers investigated possible mechanisms for the link between fried food and depression and anxiety.
To do so, they observed how chronic exposure to acrylamide affected zebrafish over time. They found that exposing fish to low concentrations of acrylamide induced anxiety-like and depression-like behavior.
MNT spoke with Dr. Michael J. McGrath, board certified psychiatrist and Medical Director of the Ohana Luxury Alcohol Rehab, not involved in the study, about the link between fried foods, depression, and anxiety. He noted that other factors beyond acrylamide may explain the effects of fried food on mental health.
He noted, for example, that as the study did not find a causal link, it may be the case that those who eat more fried foods have a higher risk for depression and anxiety or that those with the conditions are more likely to turn to fried foods.
When asked about the study’s limitations, Dr. Felix Spiegel, a bariatric surgeon with Memorial Hermann in Houston, not involved in the study, told MNT:
“The limitation of this study is that it is retrospective and does not control for many variables. In other words, many people were surveyed regarding their intake of fried foods. Those with higher intakes tended to have more anxiety and depression symptoms”
“However, they also were more likely to be less educated, have more obesity and medical problems, and lower income levels. These other differences could be causing higher levels of depression and anxiety and not fried food intake alone,” Dr. Spiegel explained.
“To really prove causation, you would need to take a large group of very similar people. Feed half the group more fried foods, and half less. If more anxiety and depression occurs in high fried foods going forward, then you have your proof so-to-speak,” he noted.
MNT spoke with Dr. Kelly Johnson-Arbor, Medical Toxicologist, Co-Medical Director, and Interim Executive Director at the National Capital Poison Center, not involved in the study, about whether there are any foods that may benefit or prevent depression and anxiety.
“There are no specific foods that have been proven to treat or prevent depression or anxiety,” said Dr. Johnson-Arbor. “However, the Mediterranean diet, which includes consumption of vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains, is associated with lower levels of C-reactive protein compared with the ‘Western’ diet.”
MNT spoke with Dr. Spiegel about the study’s implications. He said:
“Implications of this study are that higher levels of intake of fried foods, especially potatoes, cause increased levels of acrylamides in the blood. The higher levels of this toxin cause distinctions of nerve cell function in the brain and [may] cause depression and anxiety. The results are more pronounced in younger people.”
- Annie Lennon
Apr 25, 2023 · Eating lots of fried foods, particularly fried potatoes like french fries, can impact mental health, raising the risk of anxiety and depression, study finds.
Apr 28, 2023 · The study concluded that regular consumption of fried foods, particularly fried potatoes, carries a 12% and 7% higher risk of anxiety and depression respectively. Experts say this...
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Apr 26, 2023 · An 11-year study that reviewed more than 140,000 people’s eating habits found a link between fried foods and later developing anxiety and depression.
