The food you eat could be causing your anxiety, study suggests

Has it ever happened to you that when you are sad, angry or anxiety you seek comfort in the meal ? If so, it is likely that you have chosen to consume junk food which, in the short term, may give you some peace of mind, however, This could cause the opposite effect than what you are looking for.

A new study of the University of Colorado Boulder published in the medical journal BioMed Central found this, Since our digestive system is connected to the brain, what we eat has a lot to do with our mood.

And in this sense, it has been demonstrated that Foods high in fat cause anxiety in our body. That’s what the researchers said.

In the laboratory, scientists used adolescent rats and divided them into two groups. The first was fed a standard diet containing 11% fat. The latter had a diet rich in fats (45%), particularly in saturated fats from animal products.

After several weeks of evaluation, they took behavioral tests and that’s what changed.

Rats that ate a high-fat diet, in addition to gaining weight, had a lower diversity of good bacteria in their intestines, something that has been proven to affect overall health. But also, this same group of animals showed greater expression of genes associated with stress and anxiety .

Indeed, it has been established that The rats had a “molecular signature of a high state of anxiety in their brains.”

These three genes present – ​​at least in humans – have been linked to low mood and even suicide risk.

Regarding junk food, the lead author of the study, Christopher Lowry he said that “Everyone knows these aren’t healthy foods, but we tend to view them purely in terms of their ability to make us gain a little weight.”

“If we understand that they also impact the brain in ways that can promote anxiety, the stakes are even higher” said the expert.

In this sense, the researcher emphasized that not all fats from the diet are bad. In addition, there are some that are necessary to nourish us, such as those found in olive oil, nuts, seeds and different fish.