What Doctors Don’t Tell You Australia-NZ – July 22, 2019

FACEBOOK.COM/WDDTYAUNZ ISSUE 01 | AUG/SEP 2019 | WDDTY 23

UPFRONT

DEPRESSION IS IN THE GUT

—AND A BETTER DIET IS THE REMEDY

Mental health problems such as anxiety and

depression aren’t all in the head. In fact, they

are more likely to be in the gut, and eating fruit

and vegetables is a better way to treat them than

taking an antidepressant.

Eating a healthy diet—and one that avoids

fast and processed foods—significantly

reduces the symptoms of depression,

say researchers. It also boosts feelings of

wellbeing and improves mood.

This suggests that mental health conditions

have much more to do with the food we eat

and the state of our gut, researchers from the

University of Manchester have said.

They analyzed data involving nearly 46,000

people—and the result was that “adopting a

healthier diet can boost peoples’ mood,” said

lead researcher Joseph Firth.

Losing weight and reducing the fats we

eat, along with eating more nutritious food,

all contributed to mental wellbeing.

The findings were echoed by a

separate study, which estimated that

eating just one extra portion of fruits and

vegetables a day had the same positive

effect on mental wellbeing as walking for

at least 10 minutes for eight additional

days a month.

“People who eat more fruit and

vegetables report a higher level of mental

wellbeing and life satisfaction,” said

researcher Neel Ocean from the University

of Leeds.

Manchester study: Psychosom Med, Feb 5, 2019; Leeds study:

Soc Sci Med, 2019; 222: 335–45

Emulsifiers that extend the shelf-life of processed foods change

our gut bacteria and could be an unsuspected cause of anxiety and

antisocial behavior.

The additives—specifically two called carboxymethylcellulose

(CMC) and polysorbate 80 (P80)—cause inflammation in the gut

that has impacts on the brain and can lead to behavioral problems, say

researchers at Georgia State University. In tests on laboratory mice, the

researchers found that those exposed to emulsifiers were less able to

cope with simple skill tests and were more anxious.

Although it’s difficult to state categorically that the results in

mice would also be seen in people, the researchers think that

it’s reasonable to link emulsifiers to problems with anxiety and

antisocial behavior. They are just two of many conditions that are

linked to inflammation, along with heart disease, arthritis and

diabetes.

This suggests that all inflammatory diseases could be linked

to the consumption of emulsifiers that affect the gut–brain

connection. The answer? Don’t eat food with preservatives, the

researchers conclude.

Sci Rep, 2019; 9: 172

Food

preservatives

linked to

anxiety

disorders