When stressed out, many of us turn to junk food for solace. But new University of Colorado Boulder research suggests this strategy may backfire.
The study found that in animals, a high-fat diet disrupts resident gut bacteria, alters behaviour and, through a complex pathway connecting the gut to the brain, influences brain chemicals in ways that fuel anxiety.
“Everyone knows that these are not healthy foods, but we tend to think about them strictly in terms of a little weight gain,” said lead author Christopher Lowry, a Professor of Integrative Physiology at CU Boulder. “If you understand that they also impact your brain in a way that can promote anxiety, that makes the stakes even higher.”