Newswise — New research conducted by the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB) and the Girona Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBGI) reveals that the consumption of excessive amounts of ultra-processed foods and beverages among adolescents, aged 13 to 18, is associated with heightened mental health challenges. The study scrutinized the behaviors of five hundred Spanish teenagers to arrive at these findings.
Over the past few decades, Spain has witnessed a threefold increase in the acquisition of ultra-processed foods and beverages. Notably, adolescents constitute the primary consumer group for these industrialized products known for their inadequate nutritional value, such as low protein and fiber content, as well as their high energy densities, including saturated fats and added sugars. Furthermore, these items are often infused with additives such as colorings and flavor enhancers, which enhance their appeal, taste, and addictive properties.
The research project, which encompasses the Faculty of Medicine and the Institut de Neurociències at UAB, as well as the Barcelona Public Health Agency, investigates the correlation between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and psychosocial challenges. These challenges encompass symptoms such as decreased mood, anxiety, attention-related issues, and other behavioral manifestations. The study also considers variables such as the daily intake of fruits and vegetables and the weekly physical activity levels of the participants. These variables have demonstrated positive effects on mental health.
Conducted in collaboration with the UAB's Faculty of Medicine, the Institut de Neurociències, and the Barcelona Public Health Agency, the study explores the link between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and psychosocial challenges. These challenges encompass various symptoms, including diminished mood, anxiety, attention-related issues, and other behavioral manifestations. The research also considers key variables like the participants' daily consumption of fruits and vegetables and their weekly physical activity levels, both of which have demonstrated positive effects on mental health.
The findings of the study unveiled a clear and direct correlation between elevated consumption of ultra-processed foods and beverages and the presence of emotional distress and behavioral issues. Notably, the association between high consumption and low mood was particularly significant among the adolescent participants.
On the previous day, adolescents, on average, reported consuming 7.7 ultra-processed foods. Among the teenage participants, boys exhibited higher consumption, with an average of 8.6 ultra-processed foods, whereas girls reported an average of 7 ultra-processed foods. The most commonly consumed items were sausages, biscuits, and processed meats, which were reported by 50-60% of the participants. Additionally, chocolate products, snacks, chocolate drinks, and sauces were consumed by 40-50% of the participants. Flavored yogurts, processed breads, pastries, sugary cereals, soft drinks, packaged fruit juices, and processed crisps were consumed by approximately 30-40% of the participants.
In terms of fruit and vegetable consumption, adolescents reported an average intake of 1.93 servings per day, which falls considerably short of the recommended daily intake of five servings. Notably, adolescent girls exhibited higher consumption, averaging 2 servings, compared to 1.7 servings reported by boys. When it comes to physical activity, the participants reported engaging in activities for an average of 2.9 days per week. However, boys reported higher levels of physical activity, averaging 3.6 days per week, while girls reported an average of 2.3 days per week.
Furthermore, the study revealed that 26.2% of the participants displayed various forms of psychosocial issues. Out of these, 33.9% were associated with emotional distress, primarily linked to depression or anxiety. Additionally, 9.5% of the participants experienced attentional problems, while 3.9% exhibited behavioral problems. When considering gender differences, girls demonstrated a higher prevalence of psychosocial problems across all areas, with a rate of 26.4% compared to 22.2% in boys. This disparity was particularly prominent in terms of low mood and feelings of anxiety. However, both boys and girls exhibited similar rates of behavioral problems.
Pietro Tonini, the ICTA-UAB researcher and lead author of the study, along with Marta Reales from IDIBGI, highlights that the link between the consumption of ultra-processed foods and mood and anxiety problems among adolescents aligns with previous studies conducted on similar participant groups. Tonini further emphasizes that the obtained results suggest the need for further in-depth investigation into the association between the consumption of these products and attentional and behavioral problems.
Tonini suggests that there is a stronger correlation between psychosocial problems and ultra-processed products among adolescent boys. This may be attributed to the hypothesis that boys have a higher consumption of specific ultra-processed items, like sugary beverages (soft drinks, energy drinks, and packaged fruit juices) and processed meats. Additionally, boys tend to have lower fruit and vegetable intake, which could contribute to this association.
RSS