Canadian scientists have discovered there may well be something to the Austin Powers’ film line “I eat because I’m depressed and I’m depressed because I eat”.
Sandeep Sharma and Stephanie Fulton have had a study published which details the relationship between high fat diets and depressive symptoms.
Rich foods of course cause obesity; they also cause chemical reactions in the brain similar to illegal drugs, which can cause depression as the ‘come-downs’ take effect.
Hence, those who are on high fat diets use ‘food-highs’ to tackle depression, however, they never escape the cycle of wanting more, similar to drug addicts.
The study data highlights that high fat diets heightens the likelihood of developing depression, however, we have minimal understanding as to the neural mechanisms and brain reward patterns that relate the two. This research is a forerunner as it has established that “chronic consumption of high-fat diets has pro-depressive effects.”