You are what you eat

The old addage, ‘you are what you eat’ has some scientific validity, at least from these preliminary findings. This study out of UC San Francisco examined an intervention which reduced peoples’ ultraprocessed food consumption, finding improvements in anxiety and depression symptoms. It’s a small study, and it’s not blinded, however it is consistent with broader findings about problems with unhealthy foods. Ultraprocessed foods are those containing ingredients you would not typically find at home, and are typically shelf stable. It’s no surprise that wonderbread that can survive the apocalypse isn’t good for you!

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2854373

Reducing Ultraprocessed Foods From the Diets of Patients With Depression
A Pilot Crossover Trial

D. Nyasha Chagwedera, MD, PhD; Eliana Kim, MD; Dorothy T. Chiu, PhD et al

JAMA Psychiatry

Epidemiological and observational studies show that an increased consumption of ultraprocessed food (UPF) is associated with an increased risk of developing depression and that this association is present in a dose-response manner.1-4 In addition to correlational studies, there are also plausible peripheral and central links between UPF and major depressive disorder (MDD), although no direct mechanistic link has been established. This crossover pilot study assessed the feasibility and acceptability of removing UPF from the diets of patients with MDD who eat a large percentage of UPF in their diets to establish the viability of pursuing this line of inquiry by carrying out clinical trials of the impact of manipulating UPF on MDD.