A good reason to avoid junk foods

[BunsenBurner]

<p>Apparently, NOT eating junk could make you happier:</p>

<p>[Processed</a> food link to depression: research - Yahoo! News](<a href=“http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091102/hl_afp/lifestylebritainhealthresearch]Processed”>http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091102/hl_afp/lifestylebritainhealthresearch)</p>

<p>

diet heavy in processed and fatty foods increases the risk of depression, according to British research published on Monday.</p>

<p>Researchers at University College London also found that a diet including plenty of fresh vegetables, fruit and fish could help prevent the onset of depression.</p>

<p>They compared participants – all civil servants – who ate a diet largely based on “whole” foods with a second group who mainly ate fried food, processed meat, high-fat dairy products and sweetened desserts.</p>

<p>Taking into account other indicators of a healthy lifestyle such as not smoking and taking physical exercise, those who ate the whole foods had a 26 percent lower risk of depression than those who ate mainly processed foods.</p>

<p>People with a diet heavy in processed food had a 58 percent higher risk of depression.</p>

<p>The researchers put forward several explanations for the findings, which are published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.</p>

<p>Firstly, the high level of antioxidants in fruits and vegetables could have a protective effect, as previous studies have shown higher antioxidant levels to be associated with a lower risk of depression.</p>

<p>Secondly, eating lots of fish may protect against depression because it contains high levels of the sort of polyunsaturated fatty acids which stimulate brain activity.</p>

<p>And they said it was possible that a “whole food” diet protects against depression because of the combined effect of consuming nutrients from lots of different types of food, rather than the effect of one single nutrient.</p>

<p>The researchers concluded: “Our research suggests that healthy eating policies will generate additional benefits to health and well-being, and that improving people’s diet should be considered as a potential target for preventing depressive disorders.”

</p>

[rodney]

<p>Makes perfect sense; load up on those Omega 3’s…</p>

[midwesterner]

<p>[Diet</a> Sodas May Hurt Kidneys - NPR Health Blog : NPR](<a href=“http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2009/11/diet_sodas_may_hurt_kidneys.html]Diet”>Diet Sodas May Hurt Kidneys : Shots - Health News : NPR)</p>

[coureur]

<p>^^The study doesn’t show that diet sodas caused kidney damage. It merely shows an association - that the two are somewhat more likely to occur together. It might be plausible to suggest that drinking sodas cause the damage, but it’s equally plausible to suggest that they are both caused by something else - say being overweight for example. Remember the old rule: correlation does not prove causation.</p>

[emeraldkity4]

<p>I had " junk food" for dinner. ( not really- it couldn’t be junk food cause I liked it)
Fried oysters, french fries, even had fried asparagus with lemon aioli.
And a Fat Tire.

[Pike</a> Street Fish Fry](<a href=“http://www.pikestreetfishfry.com/]Pike”>http://www.pikestreetfishfry.com/)
next time I am going to try the octopus.</p>

[midwesterner]

<p>Coureur -
I believe that is stated clearly by the researchers in the piece. However, people should not overlook the significance of the Nurses Health Study. It is of much longer duration than most studies, and shows correlations that are not available in short studies. The use of trained health professionals as subjects adds to the credibility.
[NHS</a> :: The Nurses’ Health Study](<a href=“http://www.channing.harvard.edu/nhs/]NHS”>Nurses' Health Study |)</p>

[rodney]

<p>my husband (the cynic) said, “well, is it that people who eat junk food get depressed or is it that depressed people naturally eat junk food and become more depressed than before…”<br>
interesting point he brings up…now I know why I married him…</p>

[aibarr]

<p>

Fried oysters, french fries, even had fried asparagus with lemon aioli.
And a Fat Tire.

</p>

<p>I like you more and more, emeraldkity. =)</p>

[coureur]

<br>

<blockquote>
<p>I believe that is stated clearly by the researchers in the piece<<</p>
</blockquote>

<br>

<p>Sure, but that’s not what the big headline says. Despite any disclaimers the researchers may have made, the article is trying hard to leave you with the idea that diet drinks do cause kidney damage.</p>

[mom55]

<p>I was also wondering about cause and effect here…</p>

[mafool]

<p>oh, EK, that sounds wonderful!</p>

<p>(should I know what a Fat Tire is? Or is that an inside joke? Is it what happens to our shape after the rest of the meal?)</p>

[osiris51385]

<p>It’s pretty simple: Just eat healthy. We all know what are the right and wrong foods to eat, it’s about will power and forming new habits. If you can force yourself to go a couple of weeks only eating strictly healthy and wholesome foods, you won’t crave the junk anymore. It works.</p>