"Junk Food" Trigger Depression

Eating foods that contain trans fats are high not only makes a person's risk of heart disease, but also increase the risk of developing depression, according to a study of scientists in Spain.


Trans fats (trans fat) is a type of fat that can be found in the form of artificially in pastry products and fast food. Most trans fats are artificially synthesized through a chemical process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil. In simple language, it means changing liquid oils into solid fats.


Researchers from the Universities of Navarra and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in the latest research declare trans fat can trigger depression. The results support the results of several previous studies that revealed the devastating impact this type of fat for the body.


In his research, the researchers monitored and analyzed the dietary patterns and lifestyles around 12 thousand participants for 6 years. At the beginning of the study, none diagnosed with depression, but at the end of the study, as many as 657 volunteers recorded a new sufferers.


"Participants who transnya fat consumption rose to 48 percent increased risk of depression than those who do not consume foods containing this type of fat," says the research.


Almudena Sanchez-Villegas preventive medicine expert from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria states, the more trans fat when consumed, the greater the adverse impact arising for participants.
The study, published in the online version of the journal PLoS ONE, also noted that the study was conducted on European populations are relatively low trans fat mengasup ie, only 0.4 percent of total energy needs required the participants.


"However, we found an increased risk of developing depression by 50 percent," said one researcher Miguel Martinez.
"Based on these findings, we encourage the importance of taking into account its impact on the U.S. for countries such as the percentage level of intake of these fats account for about 2.5 percent," he added.


Still according to the research report, the number of people with depression worldwide currently reach 150 million people and this figure increased in recent years. This increase, said researchers, was caused by a radical change from the source of fat in the diet diasup west, where a number of specific types of fats that are beneficial polyunsaturated fats (polyunsaturated) and monounsaturated fats (monounsaturated) in nuts, oils fish and vegetable oils - is replaced with the type of saturated fat and trans-fats found in meat, butter and other types of products such as pastry and fast food.
Sources: AFP