Is Junk Food Detrimental to Mental Health?

We know that Junk Food is not good for our physical health. Eating ultra-processed foods regularly is leading to poor metabolic health and increases the instances of lifestyle diseases.

What about mental health? Are these foods impacting our mental well-being too?

It is very well possible and more likely probable that it is.

I say this as recent studies have found that if a person eats a significant amount of ultra-processed food (junk food), they’re more likely to experience mild depression and anxiety than someone who eats little ultra-processed food.

In the study, more people in the highest consumption group of the ultra-processed food group had depressive symptoms than those in the lowest consumption group.

There’s no doubt that nutrition plays an important role in mental health. But here is the other problem. While food choices may affect how people think and feel, their mood can also influence what and how they eat.

This makes it a two-prong problem. A person with mental health issues will be possibly impacted by emotional eating, which we know will likely result in consuming ultra-processed foods, impacting further their mental and physical health.

The question is, is it the depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues causing us to eat ultra-processed foods, or is it ultra-processed foods that are playing a significant role in mental health issues? The answer is a bit of both: junk food is a probable cause of mental health issues, and mental health issues can lead to consuming more junk food.

What we eat is important for our mental health. Still, our relationships, emotional well-being, a sense of purpose, environment, and activity levels are very important for people suffering from mental health issues. These factors being addressed along with nutrition are crucial for someone trying to improve their mental health.