Massachusetts: A new study has found that artificial sweeteners and ultra-processed foods can cause depression.
In a study conducted by researchers at Harvard University and Mass General Brigham Hospital in the United States, they examined the diets of more than 31,000 white women between the ages of 42 and 62. Among them, about seven thousand women were suffering from depression.
Consumption of ultra-processed foods, including snacks and fast foods, may be a cause of depression, researchers said. In addition, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame may also be associated with higher rates of depression.
However, experts point out that there is not enough evidence to directly link these foods to depression.
In a study published in JAMA Wednesday, researchers asked these women to fill out a questionnaire about their eating habits every four years. But it is not known for how long these women were examined.
Researchers used two definitions for depression: strict and broad. Strict depression means that a patient is diagnosed with depression by a doctor and the patient continues to take antidepressants. Whereas patients with broad depression have a positive diagnosis of this condition and take antidepressants in the same way.
31 thousand 712 women participated in the research, in which 2122 were suffering from strict depression and 4820 were suffering from broad depression.
The researchers said that ultra-processed food can cause depression, but the reason is not known.
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