Junk food side effects...

Our diets have changed radically in the past 50 years.  In fact if you compare a typical diet 50 years ago to a typical diet today, many people would struggle to find any similarities.

Part of this major dietary change is due to the appearance of junk food in our lives.  Also, long working hours, stress and family obligations mean that it is often easier to reach for the telephone and order a take-away than it is to cook a meal from scratch.

We all know that the general population's fast food addiction is largely to blame for the obesity epidemic that is putting huge pressure on healthcare.

But is it just obesity that is being fueled by junk food, or is there something far more sinister?

Dr. Julia Rucklidge, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, has said that eating processed foods might actually cause mental illness as well as weight gain.  Dr. Ricklidge believes that the spiraling rates of mental illness, and the use of anti-depressants is due to the change from eating foods made from whole ingredients to junk food.

Dr. Rucklidge is investigating the link between nutrition and disorders such as depression, ADHD, anxiety, pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).  She says that diet has changed so much and so quickly over the past 50 years that it is hard not to believe that it's having some impact on mental health.

Last year, in an interview with the New Zealand Listener, she said her team was studying whether multivitamin formulas can help with mental health disorders.  Her study specifically used formulas by Nutra Tex and Truehope.

"My work shows that, because we show an impact of using vitamins and minerals on mental health, it simply proves the point that the diet these people are eating is simply not adequately meeting their nutritional needs."

According to her research, overall between 60-80% of people in these trials responded to treatment with a micronutrient formulae.  The supplements included vitamins A, C, D, E, B vitamins, thiamin, riboflavin, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, iodine, zinc, selenium, copper, manganese, chromium, molybdenum, potassium and some amino acids.

She also spoke about how previous research has shown that high-quality fish oil can help create new brain cells and reduce inflammation in the body.  S-adenosyl methionine (SAMe), a sulphur containing compound, can help regulate mood.  N-acetylcysteine (NAC) an amino acid, has been shown to help people with bipolar depression, schizophrenia and compulsive and addictive behaviors. A Mediterranean diet has been found to lower the risk of depression and anxiety.

However, what she has not been able to find so far, is exactly which mechanism the nutrients use to lower symptoms of mental illness.

"It might be (the micronutrients) are assisting the mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cell, to work more effectively," she said, "Or we are giving the body nutrients to help reduce inflammation or oxidative stress.  Or we are just providing the body with what it needs in order for it to function effectively.  Micronutrients do seem to work on so many different levels."

Dr. Rucklidge's investigations have found that 64% of people with ADHD receiving supplements showed fewer symptoms over 8 weeks compared to 37% given a placebo.

After the Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake in 2011, she found that people suffering from PTSD had their symptoms reduced from 65% to 19% among people receiving extra vitamins and minerals.  It is her belief that governments should consider giving out vitamin and mineral tablets after a disaster has struck.

But how does all this relate to junk food?  It's quite simple, junk food does not provide the vitamins and minerals necessary for good health that whole foods cooked from scratch do.  So, cook whole fresh foods instead of reaching for the take-away menu, and you might just be doing you and your family one huge favor.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com