Ever hear the trick of eating ice cream to feel better when you're sad? This actually has the opposite effect! Eating ice cream, or any fatty food, to try to feel better could lead to a risk of depression. Researchers in Spain observed the diet, daily routines, and mental health of over twelve thousand people, and discovered 657 new cases of depression. Also discovered was the fact that, as more trans fat was consumed, depression developed even more. "The study also found that people who ate a lot of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, like those found in olive oil, had a lower risk of depression — but that association diminished when researchers controlled for other dietary factors such as adherence to the Mediterranean diet" (Melnick). Americans happen to take in more trans fat than people in Spain, from processed, fried, fast foods, and more. However, the study is not positive of whether the association of trans fat and depression is accurate, but author Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez suggests that first, trans fat is consumed, then comes depression. Now, I will reconsider eating ice cream when I am sad, because it may make me even more upset!
This article interested me because I have heard of the idea of eating ice cream to get over a break up or other sad time. I was curious to read about the study, and I kept wanting to find out more as I read.
To read the article, visit the following link: http://healthland.time.com/2011/01/27/eating-fatty-foods-may-up-your-risk-of-depression/#more-23907
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