2023-09-26 13:21:51
Sweet drinks are empty calories – and light drinks can also harm the body. Image: picture alliance / Daniel Kalker
Those who consume a lot of processed food and sweet drinks appear to have a higher risk of depression. But a certain diet can also make you happier.
It is not always easy to recognize highly processed foods at first glance. What may be obvious with frozen pizza and chocolate bars is less clear with fruit yoghurt and toast.
Johanna Kuroczik
Editor in the “Science” department of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.
But all of these products have one thing in common: they are harmful to health – and apparently also to the psyche. A recent research paper in “JAMA Network Open” shows that those who consumed a lot of them, especially artificially sweetened drinks, were more likely to be depressed.
Highly processed foods have little to do with the original ingredients. They go through multi-stage high-tech processes in production and have various additives. Ultra-processed foods contain little fiber and vitamins, but a lot of sugar and fat. They are very profitable for the manufacturers. In Germany they make up more than a third of our diet.
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