Every man stress eats occasionally.
I’ve been known to devour an entire pint of Ben and Jerry’s Phish Food or inhale a bag of peanut M&Ms.
Stress eating is a (poor) way to cope with what’s overwhelming us.
It’s a delicious escape to give our brains a much-needed boost in pleasure providing neurotransmitters likes dopamine and serotonin.
But what if junk food is causing your stress in the first place?
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine set out to answer this question.[R]
They created a study to determine if men and women who consume high amounts of ultra-processed foods…aka junk food…
Are more stressed or have lower mood levels.
They measured mild depression, number of mental unhealthy days and number of anxious days in 10,359 adults 18 and older in the U.S.
Results of the study showed that people who consumed the most ultra-processed foods as compared with those who consumed the least amount had statistically significant increases in the adverse mental health symptoms of mild depression.
They also had significantly lower rates of reporting zero “mentally unhealthy days” and zero “anxious days.”
“The ultra-processing of food depletes its nutritional value and also increases the number of calories, as ultra-processed foods tend to be high in added sugar, saturated fat and salt, while low in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals,” said Eric Hecht, M.D., Ph.D., corresponding author and an affiliate associate professor in FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine.
He continues, “More than 70 percent of packaged foods in the U.S. are classified as ultra-processed food and represent about 60 percent of all calories consumed by Americans. Given the magnitude of exposure to and effects of ultra-processed food consumption, our study has significant clinical and public health implications.”
I’m not surprised by this study.
Your mind and body work as one.
Just as junk food will rot your organs and muscles…
It will rot your mind.
Think of it this way…
Ultra-processed foods place heavy stress on your brain.
Mainly through inducing dangerous levels of inflammation.
Doesn’t it make sense this physical stress would result in mental stress too?
The solution is simple.
Cut out the junk food.
Opt for healthier, whole food options.
Not only will you feel physically better…
But mentally as well.