It may seem like a pointless study given people's weakness for French fries. For some it passes with the departure of childhood, for others it remains forever.
But junk food can have a negative impact on mental health.
A research team in Hangzhou, China, found that frequent consumption of fried foods, especially French fries, was associated with a 12% higher risk of anxiety and a 7% higher risk of depression than in people who did not eat them. fried foods.
The link was more pronounced among young consumers.
Fried foods are known risk factors for obesity, high blood pressure and other health effects.
However, experts who study food said the results are preliminary and it's not necessarily clear whether fried foods are driving mental health problems, or whether people experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety turned to fried foods.
The study analyzed 140,728 people over 11.3 years. After excluding participants diagnosed with depression within the first two years, a total of 8,294 cases of anxiety and 12,735 cases of depression were found among those who consumed fried foods, with fried potatoes in particular having a 2% increase in the risk of depression.
Unhealthy eating can lower one's mood and promote poor mental health.
In the new study, researchers suggest that acrylamide, a chemical formed during the frying process, especially in French fries, is to blame for the higher risk of anxiety and depression.
The fat used in frying also affects.
The researcher also noted that acrylamide is not only produced by frying. It's in coffee, because of the roasting of the beans, and in toast, because 'heating carbohydrates along with protein can stimulate the process of making this chemical'.
