Whether in the form of sticks, chips, wedges, breadcrumbs, grilled…, with ketchup, mayonnaise or salsa brava, crisps are the ultimate accompaniment to any dish. And although they are an unhealthy food, it seems that a scientific study has gone further, linking them to an increased risk of anxiety and depression.

According to a research team at Zhejiang University in China, regular consumption of fried foods, especially Chips, is associated with an increased risk of anxiety (12%) and depression (7%) compared to people who do not eat fried foods, CNN reported. This percentage was even higher in men and especially in younger consumers.

It is well known that eating any fried food on a frequent basis is a risk factor for obesity, high blood pressure and other health problems. But this study has also found that these foods also have a negative influence on our mental health, according to the study published in the journal PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America).

The culprit: acrylamide

The main reason suggested by the research – which involved more than 140,000 people – is the presence of acrylamide, a chemical that is formed during the frying process, especially in Chips, and which is to blame for the increased risk of anxiety and depression.

According to the Spanish Association for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN), acrylamide is a “chemical that is created naturally in food products containing starch during everyday cooking processes at high temperatures (frying, roasting, grilling and also during industrial processes at 120ºC and low humidity)”. And according to the Zhejiang University study, “prolonged exposure to acrylamide induces anxiety and depressive behaviours through oxidative stress-mediated neuroinflammation”.

However, other nutrition experts claim that these are preliminary results. In fact, many specialists turn the theory on its head and explain that the cause of this problem could also be the other way around. That is, that people with depression or anxiety turn more to these kinds of “comfort” foods as a kind of self-medication or relief from depression or anxiety, Dr Katz told CNN.

Other researchers, on the other hand, soften the alarm of this problem, advising to maintain a healthy lifestyle and reducing – without having to completely eliminate – the intake of fried foods for good health in general and, of course, mental health. Yu Zhang, the study’s author, explains.