New research conducted in Spain, as spearheaded by the universities of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Granada, reveals that people who eat fast food are more than 50% likely to develop depression as compared to those ate less or none of it.
Almudena Sanchez-Villegas, one of the lead scientists of the study, says "The more fast food you consume, the greater the risk of depression... Even eating small quantities is linked to a significantly higher chance of developing depression."
She further explains, as published in an article inside the journal of Public Health Nutrition, that one cause of the discovered results may be attributed to the fact that most individuals who consume fast food and commercial baked goods are single and less active. She also attributes work-related stress as a prevalent characteristic among those in the study group.
The study sample was comprised of 8,964 participants, who had never been diagnosed with depression nor have taken anti-depressants in the past. After the six month study, 493 of them showed signs of depression or have starting medicines.