Environmental Science Research Article

A research article on environmental science written by Wang et al. and published in PNAS addressed the association between high fried food consumption and anxiety and depression. The author said that consuming fried food frequently increases the risk of anxiety and depression. This is mainly due to acrylamide, a contaminant in fried foods with toxicological action.

Western dietary patterns are tied to mental health. More data must be collected on the long-term effects of chronic fried food consumption on anxiety and depression.

Considering this, researchers in their study entitled "High fried food consumption impacts anxiety and depression due to lipid metabolism disturbance and neuroinflammation" did a population-based study.

Critical Points of the Study

• One hundred forty thousand seven hundred twenty-eight people gave a history of frequent fried food consumption.
• There was a strong association of fried potato consumption with a 12% and 7% higher risk of anxiety and depression, respectively.
• Male and younger consumers had a more pronounced association.
• Long-term exposure to acrylamide, a contaminant in fried products, exacerbates scototaxis and thigmotaxis.
• Acrylamide down-regulates the gene expression of tjp2a related to the permeability of the blood–brain barrier.
• Chronic exposure to acrylamide induces cerebral lipid metabolism disturbance. This causes neuroinflammation.
• Chronic exposure to acrylamide dysregulates sphingolipid and phospholipid metabolism. These are linked to the development of anxiety and depression symptoms.
• Acrylamide causes lipid peroxidation and oxidation stress causing cerebral neuroinflammation.
• Acrylamide increases lipid peroxidation markers and up-regulates proinflammatory lipid mediators' expression. This indicates increased cerebral inflammatory status following chronic exposure to acrylamide.

They said in our study we found that long-term exposure to acrylamide induces anxiety and depression. This is due to oxidative stress-mediated neuroinflammation and the PPAR signalling pathway.

It is essential to reduce the consumption of fried food for mental health. Our study has provided evidence for the same.

Further Reading

High fried food consumption impacts anxiety and depression due to lipid metabolism disturbance and neuroinflammation