From anxiety to cancer, the evidence against ultra-processed food piles up (www.npr.org)

submitted 7 months ago by pelespirit@sh.itjust.works to c/science@lemmy.ml

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A study published in the British Medical Journal finds people who consume high amounts of these foods have an increased risk of anxiety, depression, obesity, metabolic syndrome, certain cancers including colorectal cancer and premature death.

The data come from more than 9 million people who participated in dozens of studies, which researchers analyzed as part of umbrella review.

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[-] otp@sh.itjust.works 4 points 7 months ago

I wonder what the link would be between highly-processed foods and mental illnesses like anxiety and depression

[-] pelespirit@sh.itjust.works 4 points 7 months ago

Not a doctor or scientist, but my guess is that the lack of nutrients messes with your gut biome which is directly related to anxiety and depression. The gut biome is going to be something that future us will think we're crazy for not looking into more. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7510518/

[-] whoisearth@lemmy.ca 5 points 7 months ago

For those who need it simplified. It's long been theorized that our gut is essentially a "second brain". It's that important.

[-] anzo@programming.dev 2 points 7 months ago

Craving for foods that fake your senses, sounds very much like drug abuse. As growing older I have been striving to avoid potato chips and go for fruits. Apples are sweet and crunchy. Clementine hydrates a lot. Banana provides potassium to avoid cramps, and so on. No junk food provides any of these... Yet, they entice us...

[-] otp@sh.itjust.works 1 points 7 months ago

That makes sense. We're eating delicious foods. Our bodies are wired to make healthy things delicious. But we're not getting any nutrients despite satisfying our cravings and eating delicious food. It makes sense that it'd mess something up.

this post was submitted on 18 Mar 2024

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