Put down that burger: Overeating can cause depression

Senior author Ronald Duman said that the effects of a high-fat diet overlap with those of chronic stress.

In a recent study, it has been found that chronic overeating and stress are tied to an increased risk of depression and anxiety.

The researchers from Yale University report that the anesthetic ketamine reverses depression-like symptoms in rats which are fed a high-fat diet in a similar way it combats depression and synaptic damage of chronic stress in people.

Senior author Ronald Duman said that the effects of a high-fat diet overlap with those of chronic stress and could also be a contributing factor in depression as well as metabolic disorders such as Type 2 diabetes.

Ketamine, also known as Special K and abused as a recreational drug, can quickly and dramatically reduce symptoms of chronic depression in patients. (Shutterstock)

In the research scientists have shown that ketamine, also known as Special K and abused as a recreational drug, can quickly and dramatically reduce symptoms of chronic depression in patients, who are resistant to typical antidepressant agents.

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They also found that a single low dose of ketamine reversed those symptoms quickly, and reversed the disruption of mTORC signaling pathways.

The research is published in the Journal, Neuropharmacology.