Feeling Blue? Check Your Diet

In a new study, researchers in Spain found that individuals who consume more trans fats are 48% more likely to suffer from depression. In this study, researchers gathered over 5,000 men and over 7,000 women (average age: 37.5) and asked them to fill out a 136-item questionnaire assessing how much, and what types of fat they consume regularly. These participants were then tracked, over time, to see if any developed depression, or began taking prescribed antidepressants. Those with the highest intake of trans fats had the highest rate of depression, while those who consumed more mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids (like oils and nuts) had lower rates of depression.

Trans fats get a lot of bad press, and rightly so. These fats are liquid at room temperature and have hydrogen atoms added to them (hydrogenated) so that they harden; margarine is one of the most famous products filled with trans fat. When compared to saturated fat, trans fats have been found to be more health-damaging, especially when it comes to heart health.

This research is one more reason to avoid this factory-made fat found mostly in processed foods like crackers, cookies and baked goods. One interesting tidbit the authors of this research point out, is that the Spanish diet contains very little trans fat (about 0.4% of total calorie intake, on average) yet there was a strong connection between trans fat intake and depression. Americans should take this to heart. Our intake of trans fats is about 2.5% of our total calorie intake - on average!

Bottom Line: Limiting trans fats and replacing them with liquid plant-based oils like olive, canola and soybean oil is important for heart health and now we know, important for brain health. Just watch those portions; a teaspoon of any fat contains about 50 calories.

Source: PLoS ONE 6(1): e16268. 

Diabetes Risk Rises with Soda Intake

Diabetes is a serious disease, and as the weight of Americans continues to rise, the risk of developing diabetes also increases. Diseases like diabetes and obesity put a serious strain on our health infrastructure and, at a more personal level, a strain on families.

New research is pointing to another factor besides weight gain that may contribute to the development of type II diabetes: soda. It turns out that soda drinkers have a higher risk of developing type II diabetes compared with diet soda and coffee drinkers.

This study followed more than 40,000 men in the Health Professionals Follow-up study. They tracked their habits and health history and found that after 20 years, the men who consume more regular soda had a 24% risk of developing type II diabetes compared to those who never drank soda.  Yikes!

Bottom Line: Diet soda was not shown to increase risk of developing type II diabetes, but it is packed with artificial sweeteners, so it is not a health food! Try slowly switching your habits -- drink seltzers, herbal teas and good, old fashioned water!

Source: Am J Clin Nutr March 2011 ajcn.007922