News-Medical.Net March 30, 2025
A large-scale study of older Australians finds that diets high in ultra-processed food may quietly erode mental wellbeing—boosting depression risk and undermining quality of life, even without antidepressant use.
In a recent study published in the journal BMC Medicine, researchers examined the impact of consuming ultra-processed food (UPF) on the mental health and symptoms of depression experienced by older adults. Their findings indicate that consuming four or more servings of UPFs each day is linked to a 10% higher risk of depressive symptoms and a modest but statistically significant decline in quality of life due to mental health, even among people who were not taking antidepressants at baseline.
Background
Mental disorders, especially depression, affect approximately 14% of older adults and...
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