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These Popular Snacks Linked a Decline in Mental Health

M3 Global Newsdesk Nov 17, 2024

This article offers valuable insights into the connection between diet and mental health, particularly the cyclical relationship between high-sugar diets and depression. By understanding this link, physicians can identify how dietary habits might influence/exacerbate mood disorders in their patients.


Key takeaways

  1. A new study has found that having a sweet tooth is linked to depression.
  2. Dietitians say that high-sugar diets can negatively impact people’s moods and that having depression can negatively affect people's diets.
  3. Because these issues feed into each other, it can be important for doctors and dietitians to address a patient’s depression and diet independently and not assume that curing one will fix the other.

A new study has found an association between having a preference for sugary and processed foods and having depression. Which issue causes the other, however, is unclear.

Published in the Journal of Translational Medicine this October, the study looked at how people’s taste preferences impact their dietary patterns and health outcomes.[1] The results revealed that people with a sweet tooth (defined as people with a high preference for sweet foods and sweetened beverages) had a greater risk of depression, diabetes, and stroke.

Comparison groups included omnivorous (defined as people who had a high preference for all foods) and people who were health-conscious (defined as people who had a high preference for vegetables and fruits and a low preference for meat, sweets, and fatty foods). The researchers used a questionnaire to determine people’s taste preferences and assign them to a preference group.

Lisa Jones, a dietitian based in Philadelphia, says that she often sees “a clear connection between food choices and mental health,” including a link between feelings of anxiety and depression and sugary diets. 

“This study reinforces what I see in practice: Food choices and health are deeply connected,” Jones says. “Diets high in processed foods, sugar, and unhealthy fats tend to increase feelings of anxiety and depression. On the flip side, nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 rich fish support better mental well-being.”

Catch-22

However, Jones adds, the connection between food choices and mental health is a “two-way street.” While some people may feel more depressed due to a sugary diet, others may gravitate toward a sugary diet because they are feeling more depressed. 

“When clients struggle with depression or anxiety, they often turn to comfort foods—think sugary snacks and fast food—which can worsen their mood,” Jones says. “It becomes a cycle where poor mental health leads to poor food choices, and vice versa.”

Because these issues can feed into each other, it is important for doctors and dietitians to work together to treat patients’ mental and dietary health and to not assume that working on one will automatically fix the other. 

When working with a client who is battling a combination of dietary and mental health challenges, Jones says that she helps the person “focus on balanced, nutrient-rich diets that promote mental and physical health, while also guiding them to recognise the emotional triggers behind their food choices.”


What this means for you

Craving sweet foods may increase someone’s risk of depression, but having depression may also influence someone’s cravings for sweet foods. When a patient is dealing with both mental health issues and dietary challenges, it can be important for doctors and dietitians to address both of these issues.

 

Disclaimer: This story is contributed by Claire Wolters and is a part of our Global Content Initiative, where we feature selected stories from our Global network which we believe would be most useful and informative to our doctor members.

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