Fast-food and commercial baked goods consumption and the risk of depression

In this 2012 study, the association between consumption of fast foods (hamburgers, sausages, pizza) and processed pastries (muffins, doughnuts, croissants) with prevalence of depression was analyzed among the 8964 participants of the Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra project. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire was completed at baseline while depression was identified at follow-up with questionnaires asking about physician diagnosis and use of antidepressant medication. After a median follow-up of 6.2 years, 493 cases of depression were documented. Compared to subjects in the first quintile for fast food eating, risk of depression was greater in those who consumed the most fast food [Q5; hazard ratio (HR) = 1.36, P trend = 0·003], even after adjustments were made for other food items. Although the intake of commercial baked goods did not linearly correlate with depression, the participants in the quintiles 2-5 for pastry consumption had an elevated risk of developing depression compared with those in Q1 (HR = 1·38). Sánchez-Villegas et al. (2012) believes eating fast food and processed pastries may enhance chances of developing depression. [NPID: sugar, processed food, fast food, pastries, depression]

Year: 2012

Reference: Sánchez-Villegas, A., Toledo, E., de Irala, J., Ruiz-Canela, M., Pla-Vidal, J., & Martínez-González, M. A. (2012). Fast-food and commercial baked goods consumption and the risk of depression. Public health nutrition, 15(3), 424–432. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980011001856