Researchers from Harvard wanted to see if there is a connection between eating and drinking ultra-processed food (UPF) and depression.
They looked at data from the Nurses’ Health Study II. The research subjects were mostly middle-aged women. A careful analysis of their food and drink habits was done.
The researchers also had access to the diagnosis of depression in these women and compared the diets of women with and without depression.
The bottom line was that the women with “greater UPF intake, particularly artificial sweeteners and artificially sweetened beverages, is associated with increased risk of depression.”
This quote is from the research article by Samuthpongtorn C and colleagues in JAMA Network Open on September 20, 2023.
Peter M. Hartmann, MD
Family Medicine & Psychiatry
