Manic episodes How some meat can permanently damage mental health

Can cause processed meat to mental illness?

It has been known for some time that the consumption of processed meat is not conducive to human health. Researchers now found that consuming processed meat also favors mental illness.

The researchers at Johns Hopkins University found in their current research that consuming processed meat can lead to manic episodes. The experts published the results of their study in the English language journal "Molecular Psychiatry".

Examination of over 1,000 subjects

The study looked at more than 1,000 volunteers, including those with mental disorders. The physicians found that processed meat-consuming people had to visit a hospital three and a half times more frequently because of mania. When manic episodes occur, those affected become hyperactive, euphoric and often have sleep problems. They themselves usually do not feel sick, but rather powerful. Affected by such manic episodes are about one or two persons out of 100 people, say the experts. For example, Hollywood actress Carrie Fisher (Star Wars) suffered from manic episodes before she passed away in 2016.

Nitrates affect the brain and intestinal bacteria

So-called manic episodes are part of a bipolar disorder formerly known as manic depression. Eating processed meat seems to increase the risk of a manic episode. Nitrates, which are used as preservatives for meat, affect the brain and intestinal bacteria of humans. And in people with bipolar disorder, higher levels of nitric oxide have been detected in the blood, the researchers explain.

Changing the diet could help sufferers

Future studies of this association could lead to dietary interventions to reduce the risk of manic episodes in people with bipolar disorder, study author Dr. Robert Yolken of Johns Hopkins University. This also applies to people who are particularly susceptible to manic episodes.

Nitrates triggered mania in rats in a few weeks

To test the effect of nitrates, the US researchers added the nitrates to the diet of rats, which showed signs of mania after only a few weeks. In the human study, researchers at Johns Hopkins University asked participants whether they consume dried, processed meat. The subjects had to provide information about their consumption of so-called meat sticks or jerky from turkey and beef jerky as well as the prosciutto and salami consumption. Salami and prosciutto could not be associated with mania.

Where can nitrates be included??

So-called Meat Sticks and Jerky are popular snacks in the US, high in nitrates. In addition, nitrates are also used as preservatives in some sausages and may be contained in bacon and burgers. Nitrates altered rat intestinal bacteria and were clearly associated with mental health problems, the researchers report. This was followed by evidence that if people with bipolar disorder take probiotics, they rarely need to be hospitalized in hospital, the researchers continue to report.

Smoked meat is especially harmful?

It is clear that mania is a complex neuropsychiatric condition, and that genetic vulnerabilities and environmental factors are likely to be involved in the occurrence and severity of bipolar disorder and associated manic episodes, explains study author Seva Khambadkone of Johns Hopkins University. The results suggest that nitrated salted meat could be an important factor in causing mania, adds the expert. A number of different dietary exposures were studied and the smoked meat was truly outstanding, Dr. Yolken continues. In addition, processed meat is also known to increase the risk of colorectal cancer. (As)