Study Links Eating Processed Meat for Mental Illness

There has been much debate about the consumption of processed meats and red meat, and two groups have emerged – those who swear by the nutritional benefits of processed meats and others who are eager to highlight their side effects. "On humans."

But thanks to a study conducted by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD, the reasons for not eating processed meats might be more apparent than ever

University researchers have recently been able to establish that eating processed meats such as dried beef and sausage could cause manic episodes in humans. researches can be found in the journal Molecular Psychiatry .

If one believes the definition of PsychCentral, a manic episode can be defined as a "state of mood" characterized by a period of at least one week when a high, expansive or unusually irritable mood exists . "There may be innumerable symptoms of these manic episodes, including but not limited to irritability, insomnia, hyperactivity or difficulty sleeping at night.

Excess energy could also be a possible sign that you are suffering from a manic episode. That being said, if you are subject to manic troubles, the story does not stop there!

You may also have schizophrenia or bipolar disorder due to these recurring episodes.

Therefore, as it is obvious, they are not very pleasant troubles to have. A press release regarding this study also revealed that the study was originally established to examine the different ways in which " certain diets and potentially types and amounts of bacteria in the intestine may contribute to the mania and other disorders that affect the brain . "

The lead author of the study, Dr. Robert Yolken even mentioned that their original purpose was not about processed meats or even mania. They began to consider this angle once the study began to take shape and come together.

So, why are processed meats so harmful to us? According to the research team's hypotheses, the nitrates used in salting and meat processing could be the potential cause of the side effects of eating meats such as beef jerky.

Nitrates have always been a controversial ingredient in the hardening and processing of red meat.

This research also potentially badociated the presence of nitrates to several neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. This is why the researchers who participated in the study found it very plausible that the presence of nitrates in processed meats could also contribute to mania.

This theory was proven after a series of tests performed on rat models by Dr. Yolken in collaboration with Dr. Seva Khambadkone and Kellie Tamashiro of Hopkins University.

Speaking of evidence of the study, Dr. Khambadkone said: " It is clear that mania is a complex neuropsychiatric state, and that genetic vulnerabilities and environmental factors are likely to be involved in the 39, emergence and severity of bipolar disorder and badociated manic episodes . "