Ultra-processed food consumption and the incidence of depression in a Mediterranean cohort: The SUN Project

Recent studies point out the negative impact of consuming ultra-processed foods (UPF) on cardiometabolic health, and subsequently, depression. Thus, it may be inferred that UPFs are linked to depression, a leading causative factor of disability and disease across the world. In this study by Gómez-Donoso et al. (2019), the authors conducted a prospective evaluation of the links between UPF intake and the odds of suffering from depression, in a Mediterranean population composed of 14,907 university graduates (mean age = 36.7 ± 11.7 years, free from depression on participation, and followed up for around 10.3 years). UPF intake was investigated using a validated, semi-quantitative 136-item food-frequency questionnaire. Analysis of the results showed a recording of 774 instances of depression during participant follow up, with a substantial relationship between the level of UPF intake and the odds of developing depression, as seen with participants in the highest quartile of UPF intake reporting more incidents of depression compared to their cohort in the lowest quartiles. The authors conclude that their results show a substantial positive relationship between dietary intake of UPF and depression risk, which was increasingly tangible in study participants who did not exercise. [NPID: SUN cohort, prospective study, food processing, ultra-processed food, depression]

Year: 2020

Reference: Gómez-Donoso, C., Sánchez-Villegas, A., Martínez-González, M.A. et al. Ultra-processed food consumption and the incidence of depression in a Mediterranean cohort: the SUN Project. Eur J Nutr 59, 1093–1103 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-019-01970-1

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