Eating unhealthy foods can lead to changes in the brain associated with depression and anxiety disorders. Cognitive abilities may also be impaired. These are the conclusions reached by scientists from the UK, observing brain scans of patients with different eating habits. Changes in neurotransmitters and the volume of gray matter were observed in people who have a poor diet, compared to those who follow a Mediterranean diet.
Researchers are still looking for confirmation of the mechanisms that make food have such an impact on the condition of the central nervous system. One concept assumes their association with abnormalities in the gut microbiota.
"In a study we recently published, we assessed the relationship between diet quality and neurochemistry and frontal cortex structure. We looked at this area of the brain because it is known to be responsible for common mental disorders such as depression and anxiety, as well as rumination, or obsessive thoughts, which are a diagnostic factor for the coexistence of these common mental disorders in people," Dr. Piril Hepsomali, a psychologist at the University of Reading in the UK, explained.
(Newseria)