Eating too much processed food can increase the risk of depression, research suggests.
People with diets high in sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products are more likely to become depressed over time, according to the study published in the British Journal of Psychiatry.
The findings also suggest that whole food diets high in vegetables, fruits and fish could offer protection against depression.
The report is published two weeks after claims by the campaigning group Healthy Food for All that social welfare and child benefit cuts recommended in the McCarthy report could force low-income groups to turn to unhealthy diets to save money during the recession.
Researchers at University College London and the University of Montpellier recorded 3,486 middle-aged civil servants' diets. The team, led by Dr Tasnime N. Akbaraly, measured participants' depression levels five years later through multiple choice questions.
Participants who ate mostly whole food were found to be 26 per cent less prone to depression. Risk of depression increased by 58 per cent in participants who ate mostly processed food.
The study is the first of its kind to examine the link between dietary patterns and depression. Previous studies have focused primarily on individual nutrients.
Results could be explained by lifestyle factors not previously accounted for, so are inconclusive. But they add to "an existing body of solid research that shows the strong links between what we eat and our mental health", Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the British Mental Health Foundation, told the BBC.