{"id":109787,"date":"2016-08-30T17:37:15","date_gmt":"2016-08-30T17:37:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/junk-food-is-causing-an-epidemic-of-mental-illness-due-to-a-lack-of-vitamins-and-minerals\/"},"modified":"2016-08-30T17:37:15","modified_gmt":"2016-08-30T17:37:15","slug":"junk-food-is-causing-an-epidemic-of-mental-illness-due-to-a-lack-of-vitamins-and-minerals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/i\/junk-food-is-causing-an-epidemic-of-mental-illness-due-to-a-lack-of-vitamins-and-minerals\/","title":{"rendered":"Junk food is causing an ‘epidemic of mental illness’ due to a lack of vitamins and minerals"},"content":{"rendered":"

We all know gorging on junk food and sweet treats is bad for our waistline.<\/p>\n

But eating processed foods might actually cause mental illness too, researchers claim.<\/p>\n

Dr Julia Rucklidge, of the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, said processed foods are causing an \u2018epidemic\u2019 of mental illness.<\/p>\n

She believes the shift from eating foods made from whole ingredients to junk food and takeaways has caused rates of mental illness, and drugs like anti-depressants to spiral,\u00a0the New Zealand Herald reports<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018Our diet has changed so rapidly over 50 years that it’s hard not to believe that it’s having some impact on our mental health,\u2019 she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Eating <\/p>\n

Eating processed foods might not only be bad for our waistlines but could cause mental illness too, claims Dr Julia Rucklidge, of the University of Canterbury, New Zealand<\/p>\n

Dr Rucklidge\u00a0is researching the link between nutrition and disorders like depression, anxiety, ADHD, pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) and post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2018My work shows that, because we show an impact of using vitamins and minerals on mental health, it simply proves the point that the diet these people are eating is simply not adequately meeting their nutritional needs.\u2019<\/p>\n