SGGP 09/22/2023 07:07

There have been several studies that have shown that diet affects the risk of depression. However, there is little data on specific dietary factors.

Processed foods. Photo: Getty Plus

For the first time, a comprehensive study conducted by medical professors at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital in the US has shown that increased consumption of ultra-processed foods, especially foods containing artificial sweeteners, is associated with the development of depression.

According to Newsweek, scientists studied the diets of 31,712 women, aged 42 to 62, and compared them with their mental health, including self-diagnosed and clinically diagnosed depression. The results showed that women who ate the most ultra-processed foods were 50 percent more likely to develop depression than women who ate the least. For those with chronic depression, foods high in artificial sweeteners may make their condition worse.