Consuming substantial quantities of ultra-processed food, especially beverages containing artificial sweeteners, has been associated with an elevated risk of depression, according to recent research.
Despite prior extensive evidence linking ultra-processed foods to physical health issues like strokes, heart attacks, and high blood pressure, this study marks the first significant research to suggest a potential link between ultra-processed food consumption, particularly those containing artificial sweeteners, and an increased risk of depression.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School examined data from one of the largest studies of women’s long-term health in the United States. The study encompassed over 30,000 primarily white middle-aged women who did not already have depression, observed between 2003 and 2017.
The researchers assessed the extent of ultra-processed food intake and categorized the types of foods consumed, including ultra-processed grain products, sweet snacks, ready-to-eat meals, fats and sauces, ultra-processed dairy items, savory snacks, processed meats, beverages, and artificial sweeteners.
After adjusting for other risk factors related to depression, such as health, lifestyle, and socioeconomic factors, the study, published in the US journal JAMA Network Open, discovered that women who consumed nine or more portions of ultra-processed foods daily had a 49% higher risk of developing depression compared to those consuming fewer than four portions daily.
Furthermore, individuals who reduced their daily intake of ultra-processed foods by at least three servings experienced a lower risk of depression compared to those with stable consumption patterns.
The study’s authors concluded, “These findings suggest that greater consumption of ultra-processed foods, particularly those containing artificial sweeteners and artificially sweetened beverages, is associated with an increased risk of depression.”
They added, “Experimental studies have shown that artificial sweeteners may trigger the transmission of specific signaling molecules in the brain that are essential for mood.”
Responding to these findings, Keith Frayn, emeritus professor of human metabolism at the University of Oxford, noted, “The relationship between artificial sweeteners and depression stands out clearly. This adds to growing concerns about artificial sweeteners and cardiometabolic health. The link with depression needs confirmation and further research to suggest how it might be brought about.”
