French Fries May Cause Depression
By Hira Waheed
26 April 2023
French fries may be a comfort food for many, but a new study suggests that frequent consumption of fried foods, particularly fried potatoes, could increase the risk of anxiety and depression.
French Fries Study
The study, conducted by a research team in Hangzhou, China, found that those who ate fried foods regularly had a 12% higher risk of anxiety and a 7% higher risk of depression compared to those who didn't eat fried foods. The link was particularly strong among young men and younger consumers.
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The study, which evaluated 140,728 people over 11.3 years, found that participants who consumed more than one serving of fried food regularly were more likely to be younger men. It also found that specifically fried potatoes were linked to a 2% increase in the risk of depression over fried white meat.
While fried foods are known risk factors for obesity, high blood pressure, and other health effects, the study's authors suggest that acrylamide, a chemical formed during the frying process, especially in fried potatoes, is to blame for the higher risk of anxiety and depression.
Further Research
To support their theory, the researchers exposed zebrafish to the chemical acrylamide and found that long-term exposure caused the fish to dwell in dark zones within the tank, a common sign of a higher anxiety level. The zebrafish also displayed a reduced ability to explore their tanks and socialize, which is unusual behavior for this species known to form schools with their peers.
However, some experts have cautioned against drawing firm conclusions from the study. Dr. Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said that the results "should be regarded as very preliminary, especially the connection with fried food and acrylamide."
Willett noted that acrylamide isn't only produced by frying and that it's also present in coffee and toast due to roasting and heating carbohydrates together with protein. He also pointed out that the zebrafish data "are hard to interpret about human health because we are quite different, and the authors recognized this."
Other experts have also suggested that the link between fried foods and mental health may be more complex than the study suggests. Dr. David Katz, the founder of the nonprofit True Health Initiative, said that while a higher intake of fried food could increase the risk of anxiety and depression, "the causal pathway could just as readily go the other way: people with anxiety/depression turn to 'comfort food' with increasing frequency for some semblance of relief."
Fried Foods And Depression
Despite the study's limitations, its authors suggest that reducing fried food consumption could have positive impacts on mental health, as well as overall health. They point to a recent rise in depression and anxiety worldwide, with 2020 seeing an increase of 27.6% and 25.6%, respectively. The World Health Organization estimates that more than 5% of adults suffer from depression globally, as noted in the paper.
In addition, a lack of variety in food has also been shown to decrease well-being. A study conducted in 2019 found that people who ate a wide variety of foods had lower levels of anxiety and depression than those with less varied diets.
Therefore, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and reducing consumption of fried foods could be helpful for mental health in addition to overall health. However, experts say that more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between fried foods and mental health.
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