A research team has linked a higher risk of anxiety and depression to diets consisting of higher amounts of fried foods, most notably fried potatoes.
The data comes from a team in Hangzhou, China, which claims that eating fried foods regularly raises your risk of anxiety by 12% and depression by 7% compared to those who don’t eat fried foods at all.
The increased risk is thanks to a chemical formed during the frying process called acrylamide. Researchers noted the chemical is especially present in fried potatoes.
The chemical was examined in another study referenced by researchers. In that study, zebrafish were exposed to acrylamide and later showed signs of depression, like swimming in darker parts of their tanks.
On Monday, the research team published their findings in the journal PNAS, saying their results “open an avenue in the significance of reducing fried food consumption for mental health.”
The study highlights how fried foods are known risk factors for obesity, high blood pressure, and other health effects. But it also noted that its link to anxiety and depression was more pronounced in young men and younger consumers.
To complete its report, researchers evaluated 140,728 people over the course of 11.3 years. People who had been diagnosed with depression in the first two years were excluded from the findings.
After compiling its data, a total of 8,294 cases of anxiety and 12,735 cases of depression were found in those that consumed fried food. Data also showed the increased risk that fried potatoes bring. Those who consumed the food had a 2% higher risk of depression than those who ate fried white meat, according to the survey.
When it comes to who was consuming fried foods regularly, the study found that younger men were the most likely to have the food be a staple in their diets.
Still, depression and anxiety have been on the rise in all demographics since the start of this decade.
The study points to mental health being in the spotlight in recent years, with the number of those who suffer from anxiety and depression on the rise globally. Researchers pointed to the increase in anxiety (25.6%) and depression (27.6%) seen in 2020 when looking at their data.
Moreover, the World Health Organization has estimated that more than 5% of the world’s adults suffer from depression.
While researchers believe they found a connection between fried food and mental health, the study’s author, Zhejiang University researcher Yu Zhang, shared with CNN that “there is no need to panic about the adverse effects of fried food.”
Instead, Zhang says to maintain a healthy lifestyle and that reducing the number of fried foods you eat could aid your mental and overall health.
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