Risk of depression increased with the consumption of trans fats during the course of a recently published study. However individuals in the study eating a Mediterranean diet were less likely to be depressed. In the U.S., where individuals eat far more trans fats than Europeans, the connection to depression may be more firmly established. Source for this article - Trans fats increased risk of depression in six-year diet study by MoneyBlogNewz.

Link between depression and trans fats

A research done at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain did a study that found out people who had trans fat were 48 percent more likely to suffer from depression. The depression danger increased depending on how much trans fats was in the diet. It was higher if more than 0.6 percent of calories came from it. Over 12,000 individuals over 6 years were tracked to figure out what conclusions could possibly be made. None of the participants suffered from depression at the beginning of the research. Depression was greater for those who got more trans fat at the beginning of the study than those who got less.

Swelling trans fats trigger

The trans fat/depression research began with questionnaires on diet and medical conditions, which were administered again when the study concluded. Not only was trans fat intake linked to depression, higher levels of trans fat consumption led to a higher risk of depression. Depression was uncommon in those who had a Mediterranean diet. Inflammation is common among those with depression. This led the study director to suggest this has a connection with depression also. Trans fats increase swelling, a danger factor for heart disease, as well as lower HDL (good) cholesterol and raise LDL (bad) cholesterol. Mediterranean diets have olive oil used in them a lot. It helps reduce inflammation very much.

Just how much trans fat is taken in, while in The United States?

The study done by the Spanish might wake some Americans up. It can help explain what is going on. The Spanish subjects in the research eating the highest levels of trans fat averaged 0.4 percent of total calories from trans fat, mostly in the form of milk and cheese. The diet in The United States averages 2.5 percent of calories from trans fat. Processed foods help make this huge difference. The United States leads the world in the consumption of trans fats and cases of depression, also as heart disease.

Articles cited

MSN

health.msn.com/health-topics/depression/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100269616&GT1=31009

Bloomberg

bloomberg.com/news/2011-01-26/saturated-or-trans-fat-in-food-may-increase-risk-of-depression-study-says.html

Medical News Today

medicalnewstoday.com/articles/215021.php