Yesterday we reported how the industrial processing of foods impacts our desire to overeat certain foods. We showcased a recent study that demonstrated what we had long-suspected, junk-food, or ultra-processed food, causes us to gain inches.
We recently discovered another study which has found a link between depression and constipation. The study found that when mice had low levels of serotonin, they also experienced constipation (and depression). In the study, the researchers gave these mice 5-Hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), a naturally-occurring amino acid that promotes serotonin. After ingesting 5-HTP slow release in their food, the mice’s gastrointestinal (GI) motility was restored and their mood dysfunction reversed.
Most of us are under the impression that we eat food, we extract its energy from it, and expel it. But these two studies have proven that we need to be concerned not only with their caloric and nutritional content, but that these foods can have a long-term impact to our bodies and our mental health.
Columbia university reported that depression was on the rise in teens 12 to 17, an increase of 4% over 10 years (8.7% in 2005, 12.7% in 2015). With an ever-more difficult work-life balance, parents are being forced to purchase food products that are easier to prepare. We know these “ready-made” foods are mostly in the ultra-processed NOVA group. It stands to reason, therefore, the chemicals in these foods are having a direct impact in our mental health and the mental health of our kids.
Next time you cruise by the fast-food drive-thru, make a detour to the grocery store catering section instead. It may take you 10 minutes longer, but your brain, gut, and waistline will thank you.
