---
description: Physical problems like heart disease and obesity aren't the only effects of eating too many fatty foods
title: High-Fat Diets Linked to Depression, Study Says
image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4ae8a16588d80a52/6987858e5f570ff7d1b15f64/dv1897014.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9
---
* [Health](/section/health/)
## Health
Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/)
Close
* [Diet & Nutrition](/tag/dietnutrition/)
## Diet & Nutrition
Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/)
Close
# A High-Fat Diet Could Be Altering Your Behavior and Not Just Your Waistline
by
[Rishi Iyengar](/author/rishi-iyengar/)
## Rishi Iyengar
Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/)
Close
Mar 27, 2015 9:19 AM CUT
Elevated View of a Tray With Fries, a Hamburger and Lemonade
Elevated View of a Tray With Fries, a Hamburger and LemonadeGetty Images
by
[Rishi Iyengar](/author/rishi-iyengar/)
## Rishi Iyengar
Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/)
Close
Mar 27, 2015 9:19 AM CUT
Obesity, heart disease and other physical afflictions may not be the only negative impacts of consuming fatty foods. According to a recent study on mice, high-fat foods could be affecting behavior, [increasing the risk of depression](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150326110954.htm "undefined") and related psychological disorders.
The study, published in the journal _Biological Psychiatry_, suggests that a high-fat diet alters the mix of bacteria in the gut known as the gut microbiome. These changes, researchers from Louisiana State University believe, might be affecting one’s susceptibility to mental illness.
The researchers tested their hypothesis by taking organisms from the gut microbiome of mice that had been fed a high-fat diet and transplanting them into non-obese mice. They found that the microbiome associated with greater levels of fat led to problems such as increased anxiety and impaired memory.
“This paper suggests that high-fat diets impair brain health, in part, by disrupting the symbiotic relationship between humans and the microorganisms that occupy our gastrointestinal tracks,” Dr. John Krystal, Editor of _Biological Psychiatry_, told _Science Daily._
Although there is still a lot of research to be done in this field, the study highlights mental issues associated with a high-fat diet regardless of obesity.
\[[_Science_ _Daily_](http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/03/150326110954.htm "undefined")\]
_Read next:_ [_10 Reasons Your Belly Fat Isn’t Going Away_](http://time.com/3746309/belly-fat-weight-loss/?iid=time%5Freadnext "undefined")
### QUIZ: Should You Eat This or That?
Which is better for you: Half cup of ice cream or 3 scoops of sorbet? Getty Images (4)
Answer: A half cup of ice cream If you eat what you’re craving, you’re more likely to feel satisfied and eat less. And scoop for scoop sorbet contains twice the sugar with none of the filling dairy protein and fat. Getty Images (5); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Real butter or spray on fake butter? Getty Images; Tara Johnson for TIME
Answer: Butter Serving size for spray butters (even low-calorie ones) are around a 1/3 second spray. What on earth does that mean? You're better off using a small amount of real butter as opposed to guessing how much you're using of the mystery melange of up to 20 ingredients. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: A turkey burger or a sirloin burger? Getty Images (2)
Answer: Sirloin burger Restaurant turkey burgers are often made with dark meat and the skin, so they’re not necessarily better for you (and for the record, they aren't low-fat). You can get a sirloin burger that’s 95% lean meat and gives you 20 g of protein. Just be careful with the toppings. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Almonds or pretzels? Getty Images (2)
Answer: Almonds Almonds are high in protein, fiber and fat and will keep you feeling fuller longer. Give high-sodium pretzels about an hour and you'll feel hungry again thanks to the high-carb no-fat or protein content. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Special K or eggs? AP; Getty Images
Answer: Eggs In the morning, you want a meal that will fill you up. Eggs offer protein and fat for satiety, but Special K cereal really only offers carbs and, well, air. If you want carbs to kick off the day, you're better off pairing eggs with a slice of 100% whole grain toast. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Fat free salad dressing or regular salad dressing? Tara Johnson for TIME
Answer: Regular salad dressingTo absorb fat soluble vitamins like Vitamins E and K in vegetables you need to consume them with a fat to aid nutrient absorption. Fat-free dressing, meanwhile, is low-calorie but gets its flavor from added sugar and salt. Tara Johnson for TIME (5); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: A low fat cookie or dark chocolate? Getty Images (2)
Answer: Dark chocolate “People believe fat free is calorie free,” says Keri Gans, a registered dietitian in New York City. “Go for the real thing.” Fat free cookies tend to be high in carbs, sugar and fake sugar. Try a nice piece of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate instead. Getty Images (2); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Low fat Greek yogurt or 100 calorie Yoplait yogurt? Tara Johnson for TIME
Answer: 2% Greek YogurtA little fat is good in the morning to keep you full—plus it has upwards of 17g of protein per container. Fat-free "fruit" yogurt is high in sugar—7 to 10 g per serving—and lower in protein. Tara Johnson for TIME (2); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
[_Listen to the most important stories of the day._](http://time.com/newsletter/the-brief/?sl%5Fautoplay=true&xid=spl-fullbrief-article "undefined")
```json
[{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3761083/high-fat-diet-obesity-depression-linked-study/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3761083/high-fat-diet-obesity-depression-linked-study/"},"headline":"A High-Fat Diet Could Be Altering Your Behavior and Not Just Your Waistline","datePublished":"2015-03-27T09:19:07.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:04:50.530Z","description":"Study finds that heart disease and obesity aren't the only effects of eating too many fatty foods","url":"https://time.com/3761083/high-fat-diet-obesity-depression-linked-study/","keywords":["Diet & Nutrition","Depression","Anxiety","Research"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4ae8a16588d80a52/6987858e5f570ff7d1b15f64/dv1897014.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rishi Iyengar","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/rishi-iyengar/"}],"articleSection":"Health","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt4ae8a16588d80a52/6987858e5f570ff7d1b15f64/dv1897014.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"dv1897014","caption":"dv1897014","creditText":"Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/health/","name":"Health"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/dietnutrition/","name":"Diet & Nutrition"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3761083/high-fat-diet-obesity-depression-linked-study/","name":"A High-Fat Diet Could Be Altering Your Behavior and Not Just Your Waistline"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"A Year in Space: The Mission","description":"On March 28, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly begins a historic year in Space. Time follows Kelly and his twin brother, Mark, as they work the test the boundaries of long-term space travel.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/gEqrnCPI/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-03-24T14:30:40.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/gEqrnCPI.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3761083/high-fat-diet-obesity-depression-linked-study/","duration":"PT3M59S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3761083/high-fat-diet-obesity-depression-linked-study/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}]
```