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Ultra-processed and fresh food consumption and symptoms of anxiety and depression during the COVID – 19 pandemic: COVID Inconfidentes
This 2022 study aimed to find out how eating processed, or unprocessed foods can affect symptoms of depression and anxiety in Brazil during the COVID-19 pandemic. Past studies have already shown that eating high-nutrient diets is correlated with a lower risk of developing these psychological disorders. A household survey was firstly conducted in two cities in Brazil. Food consumption was evaluated using a qualitative food frequency questionnaire that refers to what the respondents ate in the last 3 months. The foods consumed by these participants were then categorized according to the NOVA classification for fresh/minimally processed food and ultra-processed food. The data ultimately demonstrated that eating fresh or minimally processed foods more frequently than the average person every week was associated with lower prevalence of depression. But conversely, consuming ultra-processed foods above the weekly average frequency was related to higher prevalence of depression as well as anxiety. Thus, this study recommends eating fresh or minimally processed foods.[NPID: processed foods, diet, unhealthy diets, anxiety, depression, Brazil, COVID-19, pandemic, ultra-processed foods]
Year: 2022
