Once again, the American diet takes a toll on how we feel. Previous studies and articles have pointed out the relationship between fatty diets and an increase in developing ADHD / ADD. A recent study conducted in Spain has now linked fatty foods to a possible increase in depression. The study, as seen in Time, was a long-term study spanning six years and had over 12 thousand participants.
One feature of the study pointed to a direct relationship between fat intake and the risk of depression. The participants in the highest bracket for fat intake; those with 0.6% of their overall daily calories in fat; had an apparent 42% increase when it comes to depression. That is a large number in itself but that is not the worst of it. Americans have 2.5% of their daily calories from fat making these numbers extremely troubling.
If someone with a 0.6% fat intake is increasing their risk of depression by 42%, how much is a person with a 2.5% fat intake increasing theirs? Is it a direct relationship? If the average American consumes four times the fat, does that mean that we have increased our risk of depression by the same amount?
I am not sure, but much like any machine, our bodies run off the fuel we give it, the better the fuel the more efficient our bodies run. Considering all the processed foods, sugars, and fatty acids we consume; the link between our brains not running correctly vs. what we eat becomes clear.
The study is not definitive with its results though, which is fortunate for Americans, but combine this study with similar research into areas such as ADHD, and the trend appears clear. The American diet is a contributing factor to a teen’s mental well being.
