Reducing Ultraprocessed Food May Alleviate Symptoms of Depression

FRIDAY, Sept. 25, 2026 (HealthDay News) — An intervention aimed at reducing ultraprocessed food (UPF) intake is feasible and acceptable for patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) and may alleviate symptoms of depression and anxiety, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in JAMA Psychiatry.

D. Nyasha Chagwedera, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of California in San Francisco, and colleagues conducted a crossover pilot study to examine the feasibility and acceptability of removing UPF from the diets of patients with MDD who eat a large percentage of UPF in their diets. Twenty patients aged 18 to 80 years with a primary diagnosis of depression, a Patient Health Questionnaire-9 score of at least 5, high UPF consumption (top tertile on an adapted screening questionnaire of highly processed food [sQ-HPF score ≥8]), and self-report of at least one metabolic abnormality were enrolled; 19 completed the study. Using an open-label, order-randomized, crossover design, usual diet was compared to a low-UPF diet.

The researchers found a significant reduction in UPF consumption with the intervention (baseline mean sQ-HPF consumption, 10.10; postintervention mean sQ-HPF consumption, 1.42). The intervention was found to be acceptable, as indicated by ease and utility scores >5.0. Compared with the usual diet period, depression and anxiety scores were lower during the low-UPF period.

This study “successfully established the viability of carrying out this research in a larger-scale trial,” senior author Andrew Krystal, M.D., also from the University of California, said in a statement.

One author disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)