Churros are a concern; and it’s not the only food that does this

In autumn and winter you want to drink hot drinks, for example, coffee, infusion or hot chocolate. But also, we usually like to accompany them with products like churros. There are all kinds of churros in Spain. This largely depends on the region. For example, in some cities, potato onions are more common, while in others, clubs are more common. There are places in our geography where churros are coated with sugar. In other countries this is considered a deviation. Even in some places you can try stuffed churros. But be that as it may, there is something interesting that can happen when someone eats churros. You may feel restless.

There are no studies on how eating churros causes anxiety because This is not something unique to this food. However, it is true that churros meet three conditions that have been well-studied to be linked to anxiety: they are fried and contain a lot of fat and, in some cases, a lot of sugar.

For this reason, consuming it may make us feel a little nervous. This is, of course, something specific. Except, This doesn’t happen to everyone. But it is true that a person prone to anxiety for other reasons may see it worsened by eating churros. Does this mean we shouldn’t eat them? Of course not. Simply put, information is power, and understanding what is happening to us can sometimes help us cope much better.

It’s not just about churros

In fact, any fried food This can increase anxiety or even increase the likelihood of depression.

This was proven in 2023 in a study conducted by Chinese scientists. In their study they took into account data There are 140,728 people registered in the UK Biobank.. This is a huge database containing all kinds of volunteer health data. Some focus on habit surveys, others on results diagnostic tests and medical histories.

At the same time, all these people were observed for 10 years, paying attention to their mental health and nutrition. Thus, it was observed that those who frequently consumed fried foods, especially potatoes, were 12% more likely to suffer from anxiety and 7% more likely to suffer from depression.

This is due to the impact acrylamidesubstance formed when starch It heats up to very high temperatures. potato They are very rich in starch and are exposed to very hot oil when frying. Therefore, a lot of acrylamide is formed. But it also happens when you fry flour dough, as is the case with churros. It is already known that acrylamide can have an effect carcinogenic and neurotoxic. It can also affect fertility. But that’s not all. In previous studies conducted with zebrafish, an animal commonly used in research, it was observed that when they were injected with acrylamide, they exhibited behavior similar to human anxiety. It remained to be seen whether the same thing would happen in humans, and this study from China showed that it did.

Beware of fats

Churros are also high in fats. Their quality largely depends on who cooks them. Logically, it is always better to cook them in olive oil. But the thing is, it’s not just about the churros. Sometimes we eat them with other fattier foods, e.g. chocolate or cream.

In 2020, a group of Japanese scientists conducted a study in which a group of rats were given a diet rich in… various types of fats combined with sucrose. It was observed that those who consumed saturated fat along with sweets showed signs of anxiety when interacting with other rats.

But that was not all. When blood samples were taken from them, it turned out that these same rats had changes in expression of genes associated with the balance of glutamate levelsa neurotransmitter whose imbalance is associated with anxiety.

This is not the only study of this type that has been conducted. Most of them were carried out on rats and mice, just like the Japanese scientists. However, observational studies in humans also point to the same link between fat and anxiety.

What do you eat churros with?

As we have already seen, the problem is not only with churros, but also with what we accompany them with. Usually they are dipped in hot chocolate with a high fat content and, above all, sugar. In addition, there are people who directly coat them with sugar.

In 2021, a group of French scientists conducted an observational study with people registered in the data bank. NutriNet Santa. When comparing their mental health and diet, as Chinese scientists did with fried foods, it was observed that people with higher levels of anxiety tended to consume more free sugars and less fruit.

Chocolate excites

On the other hand, chocolate contains caffeinewhich is stimulating and can cause nervousness and worsen anxiety. In addition, there are people who eat churros with coffee, which has even more caffeine.

Ultimately, combination of sugar, fat and friedsometimes added to caffeine, is not a good mixture if we want to prevent anxiety. Although that doesn’t mean we should demonize churros. It is a tasty breakfast or snack that is usually eaten occasionally, so it should not be dangerous as long as the majority of a person’s diet is healthy. There are people who suffer from it more, but no one will suffer from depression or generalized anxiety disorder from eating churros. Just if you ate churros in a moment of anxiety and felt a little worse, think that as time passes and you return to healthy eating, the extra nervousness will go away.