Industriefettes promote depression

Industriefette in finished food favor depression

27.01.2011

Anyone who eats potato chips, fries and biscuits, according to a newly published study in the risk of developing depression. Accordingly, industrial fats not only damage the cardiovascular system and promote heart attacks, but also increase the affinity for depression in cases of increased consumption.

An unhealthy diet not only makes you overweight, it also favors diseases such as diabetes and heart attack, but it also increases the risk of developing depression. Numerous previous scientific studies have already reported that industrial fat damages the cardiovascular system to a high degree. As a result, many countries have adopted stricter guidelines to minimize so-called trans fats in food. Spanish researchers from the Universities of Navarre and Las Palmas have now determined the diets of around 12,000 subjects in a long-term and observational study. In the science magazine „Plos One“ Researchers report an increased risk of depression when high-dose participants consume industrial fats in the form of margarine, chips and French fries.

For six years, the researchers observed the lifestyle and eating habits of more than 12,000 men and women. At the beginning of the study, no study participant complained of a diagnosed depressive syndrome. At the end of the observation period, over 650 people had depression. It turned out that those who ate a lot of trans fat also became more and more depressed. The risk of disease measured by all participants was 48 percentage points higher than those who largely abstained from such fats. The more someone to „Junk food“ The higher the risk of illness, the more conclusive is the study report written by Almudena Sánchez-Villegas. According to the researchers, it is now also possible to explain why the number of depressive persons in Western industrialized countries has been rising for years. The altered eating behavior has also increased the absorption of trans fat.

Depression is rising worldwide
Health experts estimate the number of people with around 150 million people worldwide. In Germany, about four to five million people suffer from depression. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that as early as 2020, the proportion of sufferers will be just as high as in cardiovascular diseases. Every year, around 11,000 people die from mental illness. The Spanish researchers warn that this problem can only be tackled if people massively change their eating habits.

Healthy and natural fats lowered risk
Very well, fats can have a positive effect on your health. If the fatty acids were of natural origin, a reduction of the disease risk could be determined. In particular, the researchers emphasized that unsaturated fatty acids found in olive oil and fish are likely to reduce the risk of depression. According to study data, the unsaturated fats could develop a protective function.

Proportion of trans fats rising
In the course of the study, researchers also analyzed dietary behavior in Europe. Europeans usually eat a lot of vegetable oils and fish. In addition, the menu usually has fewer foods that contain a lot of trans fat. On average, people in Germany absorb industrial fats with a share of 0.4 percent. In the States, the proportion of bad fats is likely to be significantly higher. About six times as high is the value, according to the science team. For this reason one can assume that the proportion of the depressive humans in the USA is far higher.

Possibly promoting inflammation in the body
According to the researchers, trans fats promote specific inflammations in the human organism, which damage one's blood vessels and heart and, on the other hand, promote depression. However, the scientists can not provide scientific evidence for this thesis. Another reason could be that depressives pay less attention to their lifestyle and their diet. Earlier evaluations also showed that patients with depression move significantly less and eat more chocolate.

Trans fats can be found in fries, chips and all fried foods such as chicken wings, Berliners and puff pastry, instant soups, ready-roast sauces and in some sausages. Trans fatty acids are also found in some dairy products, chocolate bars and cereals. For years nutrition experts have been calling for a ban on industrial fat. So far, only a few guidelines have been drafted to contain the use in the food industry. (Sb)

Also read:
Fat control: US study confirms healthy effects
Fat substitutes harmful to health?
Depression is treated too rarely

Picture: Rainer Sturm