Did you know?
Some of the biggest nutrition barriers in college include accessibility to junk food, time, knowledge, preference, high costs, and peer pressure.2
Water deprivation influences gene transcription that plays an essential role in sodium retention and the cellular stress response.3
48.9% of college students are susceptible to depression.1
The biggest challenges in consuming a healthy diet on USC’s campus was convenience (83.4%), time (69.9%), temptations/peer pressure (56%), and affordability (55.4%).
Fruits and vegetables provide antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that prevent damage and decline in brain function.
31.1% of USC respondents drink less water when they are depressed.
90.2% of USC respondents struggled with depression at some point during college. *
Protein provides amino acids that are precursors for neurotransmitters involved in mood regulation such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine.3
68.4% of USC respondents eat less fruits and vegetables when they are depressed.
44% of USC respondents eat less protein when they are depressed.
Excessive intake of sugar inhibits the hypothalamic-pituitary axis, the body's crucial neuroendocrine system that regulates the stress response. Dysregulation of the HPA axis underlies depression.4
USC respondents eat more sweets (73.6%) and carbohydrates (38.3%) when they feel symptoms of depression.
Saturated and trans fats, sugar, salt, indigestible food additives, and hydrogenated oils are ultra-processed foods (UPFs) that alter the gut microbiome, stimulate the inflammatory response, and dissolve the blood-brain barrier.5
52.8% of USC respondents eat more fried food when they are depressed.
*Data taken from the survey results of 193 USC college students in Fall 2024. Participants were recruited using a snowball and convenience sample.
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