01 May 2023 --- A Korean-based study has found a link between depression and a higher intake of ultra-processed food (UPF) among the female population. Females who consumed the highest measured level of UPF have a 1.51 times higher likelihood of suffering depression than those following a diet high in fruits and vegetables and lower in saturated fat, sugar content and dietary sodium levels, researchers discovered. In Korea, depression rates between 2016 and 2020 among women were at 5.9% versus men at 3.04%, and the Korean average percentage of energy intake from UPF items was 27.49%. The study involved 9,463 adults.
