Previous studies on the worldwide burden of disease indicate that depressive disorders are amongst essentially the most common mental disorders and have the best overall burden. One potential risk factor for depression that may be modified is poor food regimen quality.

In a recent study published within the Journal of Affective Disorders, researchers explore the association between the consumption of high amounts of ultra-processed foods and psychological distress.

Study: High ultra-processed food consumption is related to elevated psychological distress as an indicator of depression in adults from the Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study. Image Credit: Ekaterina Markelova / Shutterstock.com

Concerning the study

The present study was registered with the Open Science Framework (OSF) registry and adhered to the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (STROBE) statement and checklist. Over 41,000 individuals between the ages of 27 and 76 years were enrolled from Melbourne between 1990 to 1994. Nearly 25,000 of those individuals identified as female, with almost 99% of the study cohort between the ages of 40 and 69 years.

The next variety of migrants from Southern Europe were included within the study to extend the range of food regimen and lifestyle experiences. The study cohort previously answered dietary and psychological distress questionnaires at baseline and at end of the study.

Of the 41,513 individuals initially recruited for the study, 28,240 attended the second follow-up visit. Amongst these, 24,674 accomplished each the dietary intake assessments at baseline and the psychological distress questionnaire on the second follow-up.

Baseline dietary data was gathered from participants who attended in-person clinics. Study participants self-administered a 121-item Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) to guage their dietary intake. Moreover, the researchers calculated the typical each day consumption of ultra-processed foods when it comes to each energy and weight by converting the reported frequencies of consumption into grams using sex-specific food portion sizes and multiplying it by the each day frequency.

The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) was used to measure psychological distress during follow-up. K10 evaluates general psychological distress, with elevated K10 scores indicating the presence of typical mental illnesses.

Results

A complete of 13,876 females and 9,423 males were included in the ultimate evaluation. Individuals who consumed the best amount of ultra-processed foods were more more likely to be born in Latest Zealand or Australia and living alone. These individuals were also less more likely to report a tertiary education, be in a married or de facto relationship, be the least disadvantaged, and interact in high physical activity levels. Higher consumption of ultra-processed foods was related to lower intake of protein, fiber, and saturated fat, in addition to reduced total energy and vegetable and fruit intake.

Model 1 found that individuals who consumed the best quartile of ultra-processed food adjusted for energy had a 1.14-fold higher likelihood of experiencing elevated psychological distress as in comparison with those that consumed the bottom quartile. Within the major multivariable evaluation, after adjusting for potential covariates, the association rose to a 1.23-fold higher likelihood of increased psychological distress.

The fourth and highest quartile of energy-adjusted ultra-processed food consumption showed a major difference as in comparison with the reference quartile across all models. A threshold effect was observed, which indicated that the link between consuming ultra-processed foods and increased psychological distress only occurred in individuals with a really high comparative intake of ultra-processed food.

A restricted cubic spline assessment was used to look at the connection between ultra-processed food consumption and psychological distress. To this end, higher ultra-processed food intake was linked to an increased risk of increased psychological distress. Furthermore, participants in the highest quartile were significantly more more likely to report psychological distress as in comparison with those in the primary three quartiles.

Conclusions

The consumption of ultra-processed food was directly linked to increased psychological distress in subsequent follow-up visits. This association was solely observed in individuals who consumed a major amount of ultra-processed food, specifically those in the best quartile.

More research is required to discover the negative points of ultra-processed food and develop effective nutrition and public health approaches to enhance mental health.