Health
Depression risk spikes for those who eat these unhealthy foods, study finds: ‘Not a coincidence’
That bag of chips or slice of frozen pizza might make you happy while you’re eating it — but it could make you more susceptible to sadness long after the last bite.
A new study published in the journal JAMA Open Network found that eating “ultraprocessed” foods can contribute to a higher risk of depression.
Researchers from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health analyzed the dietary choices and mental health of more than 31,000 women between 42 and 62 years of age, according to the journal article.
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The data came from the Nurses’ Health Study II, conducted between 2003 and 2017.
All participants filled out a food questionnaire every four years, disclosing whether they consumed ultraprocessed foods (UPFs) or not.
UPFs were grouped into nine categories: ultraprocessed grain foods, sweet snacks, ready-to-eat meals, fats and sauces, ultraprocessed dairy products, savory snacks, processed meat, beverages and artificial sweeteners.
“Ultraprocessed foods are those that include many preservatives, stabilizers, bulking or gelling agents, as well as artificial colors and flavors,” said Tanya Freirich, a registered dietitian nutritionist in Charlotte, North Carolina, who practices as The Lupus Dietitian. (She was not involved in the study.)
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“They are generally the types of foods that are shelf-stable for years to come,” she went on.
“Ultra-processed foods include things like chips, candies, frozen ‘TV dinners,’ chicken nuggets, sodas, sugar-filled breakfast cereals and packaged soups (the ‘just-add-hot-water’ type).”
“Our brain is just as vulnerable, if not more vulnerable than, other parts of our body to the negative effects of non-nutritive food additives.”
To gauge the participants’ mental health status, the researchers used two definitions: one, a strict definition requiring self-reported, clinician-diagnosed depression and regular antidepressant use; and two, a broad definition requiring clinical diagnosis and/or antidepressant use, as the journal article stated.
The researchers adjusted for other factors that could influence depression risk — such as age, body mass index, physical activity, smoking status, sleep health, chronic pain, alcohol consumption, income and any existing medical conditions.
After analyzing the results, the researchers found that people who ate higher amounts of ultraprocessed foods — in particular, artificial sweeteners and artificially sweetened beverages — were more prone to depression.
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One possible reason is that artificial sweeteners cause chemical changes in the brain that can trigger the development of depression, they hypothesized.
“It is known that artificial sweeteners affect the brain through a different pathway than natural sweeteners like sugar or honey,” Frierich pointed out, noting that more research is needed in this area.
Those who had the highest intake of UPFs had a 34% to 49% increased risk of depression, the study found.
Frierich said she was not surprised by the findings overall.
“Many studies have documented associations between some food additives and cancer, hormonal changes, weight gain and our mental health,” she told Fox News Digital.
“With that in mind, it is not surprising to me that there may be a link between ultraprocessed foods and depression.”
She also said, “Our brain is just as vulnerable, if not more vulnerable than, other parts of our body to the negative effects of non-nutritive food additives.”
The study’s limitations
While the study had a large sample size, high follow-up rate and advanced dietary assessment tools, it did have some limitations, the researchers pointed out.
The participants were primarily non-Hispanic White females.
Also, the study was observational — with no structured clinical interviews.
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“More diversity in the sample size may find differences among races and ethnicities in the association between UPF consumption and depression,” Frierich said.
“The high intake of UPFs was associated with greater BMI, high smoking rates, decreased likelihood of exercising regularly, as well as increased disease incidence of diabetes, HTN and dyslipidemia.”
Also, because this was an observational study and not a controlled one, it’s not a certainty that ultraprocessed foods were the determining factor in the depression, she noted.
“A prospective study like this one only examines the association between the UPF and mental state,” Frierich said.
“Were people feeling more depressed and then turning to UPF as a form of comfort or convenience? Depressed people may not have the energy to grocery shop, meal-prep their lunches or cook meals from scratch.”
“Depressed people may not have the energy to grocery shop, meal-prep their lunches or cook meals from scratch.”
“While we cannot figure out what came first, the depression or the UPF, is it vital to note that when people reduced their intake of UPF, there was a consequential reduction in depression,” she added.
“The association is not a coincidence.”
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Lauren Harris-Pincus, a registered dietitian nutritionist who has been practicing for over 25 years in the New York/New Jersey area, told Fox News Digital that it’s important to take into account social determinants of health and access.
“Perhaps someone who eats most of their diet as UPF doesn’t have access to fresh foods in their neighborhood. Maybe they work several jobs and don’t have time to cook, or are caring for loved ones and sacrificing their own self-care,” said Harris-Pincus, who was not involved in the study.
Tips for improving diet for better mental health
When treating clients, Frierich recommends that they consider their diets as an important piece of the puzzle for mental health.
“Dietary changes do not need to be dramatic or expensive,” she said. “Start small by swapping out one processed snack for a piece of fruit, nuts, seeds or a raw vegetable. An apple, baby carrots or handful of nuts can be just as quick as a processed snack, but [this] reduces your intake of UPF by at least one serving.”
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With small changes like these throughout the week, she said people may notice improvements in energy, digestion and other areas.
As artificial sweeteners were noted to be associated with depression, Frierich suggests choosing honey, sugar or agave nectar instead.
For beverages, she recommends opting for lightly sweetened or unsweetened tea, coffee or seltzer water instead of diet sodas.
Frierich also suggests using maple syrup, fruit juice-based popsicles and 100% fruit juice in place of sugar-free options.
“Artificial sweeteners can cause another problem — as we perceive them to be hundreds to thousands of times sweeter-tasting than natural sugars. If you use them often, you may have become accustomed to this ultra-sweet flavor,” she warned.
“Making the switch to natural sugars may taste less sweet at first, but your taste buds can and will adjust over time.”
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All types of sugar should be consumed in moderation, the dietitian added.
The World Health Organization recommends limiting added sugars to 25 grams or less (six teaspoons) per day for adults.
Added Friedrich, “Decreasing your intake of both artificially and naturally sweetened beverages and foods is a great idea for your physical and mental health.”
Another important consideration is that not all UPFs are the same, Harris-Pincus said.
“When we message about limiting ultraprocessed foods, there is nuance — they are not all created equal.”
Simply peeling a vegetable, for example, is a form of processing, she noted — and while soy milk might be classified as an ultraprocessed food in a database, it is essentially a nutrient-dense whole food.
“Ultimately, we want to strive for a diet rich in fruits, veggies, nuts, beans, seeds, whole grains and lean proteins,” Harris-Pincus said.
“When we message about limiting ultraprocessed foods, there is nuance — they are not all created equal.”
“Some ultraprocessed food is OK, especially if combining processed foods and fresh foods makes it easier to get family meals on the table.”
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Health
Ivanka Trump shares the fitness routine that has ‘transformed’ her body: ‘Safe and steady’
Ivanka Trump, the second child of former President Donald Trump, is sharing details of her health and exercise regimen.
The mother and business executive, 43, recently shared five exercises and other details about her fitness journey on Instagram, with an emphasis on her shift to weight training.
“Like many women, I used to focus primarily on cardio, yoga and Pilates,” Trump wrote in a post alongside a shared video.
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“Since moving to Miami, I have shifted my focus to weightlifting and resistance training, and it has been transformative in helping me build muscle and shift my body composition in ways I hadn’t imagined,” she also wrote.
Trump now dedicates three to four days a week to strength training, either on her own or with one of her trainers. (See her fitness routine here.)
Her strength training approach focuses on “foundational, time-tested and simple movements” that include squats, deadlifts, hinges, pushes and pulls, she detailed.
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“These are the cornerstones of my workout, emphasizing functional strength for life,” said Trump, who served as her father’s top aide during his presidency.
Working with a trainer, Trump said she first prioritized her form and then added weight.
“This ensures a safe and steady progression while maintaining the integrity of each movement,” she wrote. “I incorporate mobility work within my sessions to enhance range of motion.”
Trump wrote that weightlifting has enhanced her strength as well as her overall athleticism and resilience.
“I have shifted my focus to weightlifting and resistance training, and it has been transformative.”
Nutrition has also been key to her stronger physique.
“Also new for me, but critical to my progress, has been increasing my protein intake dramatically,” Trump wrote in the post.
“I now consume between 30 to 50 grams of protein a meal. It works … I’ve never been stronger!”
When she’s not in the gym, Trump said she does weekly yoga sessions and outdoor activities with her kids, including surfing, swimming, hiking, walking and golf.
To boost her cardiovascular fitness, she also incorporates some short, high-intensity interval training sessions each week.
“This balanced approach has infused new energy into my fitness routine and yielded great results,” Trump wrote, adding that each person’s routine is “highly personal,” and that “what works is what you will actually do consistently.”
‘Secret recipe’
Regis Pagett, founder and owner of R Personal Fitness in New York City, is not involved in Trump’s training, but commented on her post.
“Her emphasis on resistance training is the ‘secret recipe’ everyone is looking for,” he told Fox News Digital.
“It’s no longer a secret that resistance training is the best way to slim and tone the body.”
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When Pagett trains women over 50, he focuses on low-weight, high-repetition compound movements, such as a TRX row, using only bodyweight for 15 reps.
He also mixes in high-weight, moderate-repetition compound movements, such as the barbell deadlift using 85 pounds for eight reps, for an “overall sculpted look.”
“The most important factors in terms of exercise and nutrition are proper form to ensure targeted muscle activation and a high-protein lifestyle,” said Pagett, who is a certified personal trainer and a strength and conditioning coach.
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“Targeted muscle activation ensures that each movement is precisely hitting the muscle you’re looking to strengthen and develop, while a high-protein lifestyle ensures proper recovery time and helps minimizes soreness between workouts.”
Health
Why the end of daylight saving time can negatively affect your health
This weekend, most of the United States — except for Hawaii and most of Arizona, which don’t observe daylight saving time — is enjoying an extra hour of sleep, but is it actually a good thing?
Although the day the clocks “fall back” gives you an extra hour of sleep before your alarm goes off, the end of daylight saving time in November has multiple health implications.
Turning the clocks back an hour on the first Sunday in November means fewer hours of daylight. For many, this means that when they leave work around 5 p.m., it’s already dark outside. It’s one drawback to moving the clocks back.
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A lot of health implications from moving clocks back are associated with a changed sleep schedule.
Many people have a difficult time adjusting since their internal clock has been altered.
“Just that one hour can change the amount of sleep you get, the quality of sleep that you get,” said Dr. Phyllis Zee, a sleep researcher at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, per The Associated Press.
“Off-kilter sleep can affect people’s ability to multitask, stay alert and even maintain their balance, making them more prone to accidents.”
Many people, especially those with preexisting conditions, can experience darker moods following the clock change and through the fall and winter months. There are a few different theories for why this happens.
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One is the body’s circadian rhythm, its internal clock, is disrupted when the days are shorter with less access to the sun, which can cause a mood swing. Turning the clocks back an hour marks a time when the dark winter is coming.
The lack of serotonin the body receives during this time of year can also contribute to a worsening mood.
There are ways to help your body adjust for a smooth transition.
One thing you can do is keep your same bedtime. Don’t use the hour of extra sleep as an excuse to stay up late the prior day. Instead, go to bed at your usual time.
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When you wake up in the morning during the cold winter months, try to get exposed to light early by opening blinds around the house, sitting outside or even going for a walk.
If you spend your days indoors, the morning hours may be your only opportunity to soak in minimal sunlight.
Most clocks will change on their own. Even though the time change doesn’t officially happen until 2 a.m., you can set your clocks back the night before so that your body can better adjust to the change.
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One good practice, no matter the time of year, but especially in the colder months, is to establish a good sleep routine.
Avoid eating or drinking too close to bedtime, practice meditation to calm your body down before bed and grab a book instead of reaching for your phone before bed to limit your screen time.
Health
Smoking and vaping can have these detrimental effects on fertility, doctors warn
Smoking tobacco products has been proven to have negative effects on fertility, according to research.
That includes vaping in addition to traditional cigarettes.
For those who are concerned about fertility or looking to start a family, experts recommend refraining from smoking and vaping.
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Courtney D. Lynch, PhD, a doctor of maternal fetal medicine at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, confirmed with Fox News Digital that it has been “well-established” that smoking has an “adverse impact on both natural and medically assisted conception.”
“While the human data on vaping and fertility are sparse, animal data suggest that vaping is also problematic,” she said. “Nicotine is a well-established reproductive and developmental toxicant.”
Smoking and vaping exposes the embryo to certain harmful compounds, according to Lynch.
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The nicotine in vapes and cigarettes is known to impair the functioning of the cilia in the fallopian tubes, she noted.
This then impairs the “proper transport” of the embryo to the uterus when attempting pregnancy, and it also increases the risk of a tubal or extra uterine pregnancy, according to Lynch.
Smoking and vaping can also alter gene expression, the doctor added.
Theodore Wagener, PhD, director of the Center for Tobacco Research and co-leader of the Cancer Control Program at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, referred to scientific literature that suggests smoking “clearly negatively effects fertility.”
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In an animal study published by the National Institutes of Health, vaping was shown to exert “harmful effects” during the implantation process of pregnancy, potentially leading to “various pathologies in the offspring.”
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“In women, smoking damages egg quality and quantity while accelerating egg loss, leading to earlier menopause and increased risks of fertility treatment failure, miscarriage and menstrual irregularities,” Wagener told Fox News Digital.
For men, smoking can impair fertility by reducing sperm count and quality, damaging DNA and “disrupting testosterone production, which can result in erectile dysfunction,” Wagener noted.
“For vaping, the scientific literature is limited, but it may similarly impact hormone levels, cause DNA damage and increase erectile dysfunction,” he added.
Lynch and Wagener agreed that quitting all nicotine and tobacco products could help improve fertility while limiting exposure to environmental smoke.
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