What do french fries have to do with anxiety and depression?

French fries are a delicious food for many people, but these foods can have a negative impact on mental health.

A research team in Hangzhou, China, found that frequent consumption of fried foods, especially French fries, increased the risk of anxiety by 12% and the risk of depression by 7%, compared to people who did not eat fried foods.

Fried foods are risk factors for obesity, high blood pressure and many other diseases.

However, experts who study food said the results are preliminary and it's not necessarily clear whether fried foods are driving mental health problems, or whether people experiencing symptoms of depression or anxiety ate more fried foods.

However, unhealthy and low-nutrition foods affect our mood and mood, adversely affecting our mental health.

In the new study, researchers suggest that acrylamide , a chemical formed during the frying process, especially in French fries, is to blame for the higher risk of anxiety and depression.

The researchers exposed one type of fish to the chemical and found that long-term exposure caused the fish to inhabit dark areas within the tank, a common sign of a higher level of anxiety in fish.

Zhejiang University researcher Yu Zhang, author of the study, told CNN that "there is no need to panic about the negative effects of fried food." But having a healthy lifestyle and reducing the consumption of fried foods can be beneficial for mental health in addition to general health.

Experts have noted increases in depression and anxiety worldwide; in 2020 there was an increase of 27.6% and 25.6%, respectively.