The Western diet and its impact on your mental health

Let's be clear: there is nothing wrong with enjoying a juicy burger, side of crisp fries, and bubbly soda on occasion. In fact, no food should be off limits, in my opinion. However, eating these foods too often is what can place us at increased risk of developing dietary-related diseases, including obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Take a look at this graphic, which highlights trends in what Americans eat and compares it to national nutrition recommendations. In short, we're eating too much meat and too few healthy grains, fruits, dairy, and vegetables:

Classified as the Western diet, this eating pattern includes processed foods usually high in fats and added sugar (cookies, cakes, and other sweets), red meat (beef and pork), and fast foods. Too much of these foods may impact our mental health just as much as our physical health.

Two studies examined a Western dietary pattern and its association with depression, one of the world's most prevalent mood disorders. In one study, researchers examined the eating patterns of more than 800 people to uncover any associations between food and depression. The risk of developing depression was increased by nearly 40 percent in individuals whose dietary patterns were in high sweets, red meats, sodas, and processed juices. Another study examined a larger population (close to 9,000 subjects) and any associations between mood disorders and fast food. It concluded that a greater intake of fast food was associated with a greater risk of developing depression.

That's not to say increasing your consumption of apples and whole grains will eliminate depressive episodes. Therapy and medication can and should be crucial components to treatment. However, consider healthy eating another tool in the toolkit.

You don't need to completely revamp your eating pattern to start making changes that could impact your health and mood. Consider these suggestions:

• Swap out red meats with lean proteins, including skinless poultry, seafood, beans, or tofu. Bake or grill your meats instead of frying them.

• Gradually replace sugared sodas with flavored seltzer or water flavored with fruit juice.

• Limit butter and replace with lower-fat spreads or healthy oils, including olive oil.

• How many servings of fruits and vegetables are you getting in a day? Try and slowly add one more. If it's one, see if you can increase it to two. If it's two, see if you can increase it to three, maybe by adding a healthy snack between meals. Always fuel your body with foods you enjoy vs. forcing yourself to eat something you don't.

  
  

Curious about how certain foods may positively impact your mental health? Read my post on this subject.

Studies cited:

• Meller F de O, Manosso LM, Schäfer AA. The influence of diet quality on depression among adults and elderly: A population-based study. J Affect Disord.  2021;282:1076-1081. 

• Sánchez-Villegas A, Toledo E, de Irala J, Ruiz-Canela M, Pla-Vidal J, Martínez-González MA. Fast-food and commercial baked goods consumption and the risk of depression. Public Health Nutr. 2012;15(3):424-432.