Does processed food cause depression?

November 2, 2009 And, what's more, people who ate plenty of vegetables, fruit and fish had a lower risk of depression. That's the conclusion of a study involving 1,500 people in the British Journal of Psychiatry.

Those who ate the most whole foods had 26 percent lower risk of future depression. By contrast, people with a diet high in processed food had a 58 percent higher risk of depression.

It is not yet clear why some foods may protect against or increase the risk of this disorder.