When feeling stressed, many of us may turn to junk food to help. Perhaps some chocolate for a mid-afternoon boost, or a donut on the way home to reward surviving another 9 to 5.
However, scientists at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered that eating fatty foods may actually make our anxiety worse.
Which, let’s face it, isn’t ideal.
The team found that when animals were given a high-fat diet, it disrupted their gut bacteria – which in turn altered the brain chemicals that fuel anxiety.
Lead author Professor Christopher Lowry said: ‘Everyone knows that these [high-fat items] are not healthy foods, but we tend to think about them strictly in terms of a little weight gain.
‘If you understand that they also impact your brain in a way that can promote anxiety, that makes the stakes even higher.’
