People who indulge in diets high in processed food face an increased risk of depression, says a new study.

To reach the conclusion, researchers at University College London examined the link between the diet and depression.

Lead author Dr Archana Singh-Manoux discovered those who ate lots of vegetables, fruit and fish had a 26 per cent lower risk of future depression.

On the other hand, a mainly processed food diet, such as sweetened desserts, fried food, processed meat, refined grains and high-fat dairy products, left consumers with a 58 per cent higher risk of depression, reports the British Journal of Psychiatry.

"There was a paper showing a Mediterranean diet was associated with a lower risk of depression but the problem with that is if you live in Britain the likelihood of you eating a Mediterranean diet is not very high,” The BBC quoted Dr Archana as saying.

“So we wanted to look at bit differently at the link between diet and mental health," she added.

Dr Andrew McCulloch, chief executive of the Mental Health Foundation further said: "This study adds to an existing body of solid research that shows the strong links between what we eat and our mental health.

"Major studies like this are crucial because they hold the key to us better understanding mental illness."