French fries are comfort food for many. Butreaching for fried foods may have a negative impacton mental health.

A research team in Hangzhou， China， found thatfrequent consumption of fried foods， especially friedpotatoes， was linked with a 12% higher risk of anxietyand 7% higher risk of depression than in peoplewho didn’t eat fried foods.

Fried foods are known risk factors for obesity，high blood pressure and other health effects. Theseresults open an avenue in the significance of reducingfried food consumption for mental health， according toa paper published in the journal PNAS.

However， experts who study nutrition said theresults are preliminary， and it’s not clear whether friedfoods were driving mental health issues， or peopleexperiencing symptoms of depression or anxietyturned to fried foods.

The study evaluated 140，728 people over 11.3years. After excluding participants diagnosed withdepression within the first two years， a total of 8，294cases of anxiety and 12，735 cases of depressionwere found in those that consumed fried foods， whilespecifically fried potatoes were found to have a 2%increase in risk of depression over fried white meat.

炸薯條是很多人喜愛的爽心美食，然而吃油炸食品卻可能對心理健康造成不良影響。

杭州的一個研究團隊發(fā)現，常吃油炸食品尤其是炸薯條的人，相比不吃油炸食品的人，患焦慮癥和抑郁癥的風險分別高出12% 和7%。

眾所周知，油炸食品是引發(fā)肥胖癥、高血壓和其他健康問題的風險因素?！睹绹茖W院院報》發(fā)布的一份報告指出，研究結果指出了少吃油炸食品對于心理健康的重要性。

然而，營養(yǎng)學專家表示，這些只是初步研究結果，到底是油炸食品引發(fā)心理健康問題，還是有抑郁和焦慮癥狀的人愛吃油炸食品，尚未可知。

這項研究在11.3 年時間內對140，728 人進行了評估。在頭兩年排除了參與研究的抑郁癥確診患者后，研究發(fā)現，愛吃油炸食品的人當中，有8，294 例患有焦慮癥，12，735 例患有抑郁癥。而愛吃炸薯條的人相比愛吃炸白肉的人患抑郁癥的風險要高出2%。

The study had also found that the participantsconsuming more than one serving of fried foods regularlywere more likely to be younger men.

Unhealthy food and poor nutrition can lower one’smood and progress a mental health condition， as found ina prior study cited within this new one.

In the new study， the researchers suggest thatacrylamide， a chemical formed during the frying process，especially in fried potatoes， is to blame for the higher riskof anxiety and depression.

“The health effects of fried foods will depend greatlyon what food is fried and what type of fat is used for frying，”said Willett， professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition atHarvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health， via email.

Zhejiang University researcher Zhang Yu， an authorof the study， said in an email that there is no need topanic about the adverse effects of fried foods. Butmaintaining a healthy lifestyle and reducing consumptionof fried foods may be helpful for mental health in additionto overall health.

研究還發(fā)現，在參與調研的人當中，年輕男性更有可能定期攝入一份以上的油炸食品。

這項新研究引用的先前的一項研究結果稱，不健康的飲食和營養(yǎng)不良會讓人情緒低落，加重心理疾病。

研究人員在新研究中指出，油炸過程中尤其在炸薯條時產生的化學物質丙烯酰胺是焦慮和抑郁風險增加的元兇。

哈佛大學陳曾熙公共衛(wèi)生學院的流行病學和營養(yǎng)學教授威利特在電子郵件中說道：“油炸食品對健康的影響主要取決于油炸的是什么食物以及油炸用的是哪種油?！?/p>

該研究的作者之一、浙江大學研究人員章宇（音譯）在一封電子郵件中說，沒必要對油炸食品的有害影響感到恐慌，但是保持健康的生活方式、少吃油炸食品可能有助于心理健康以及全身健康。