The Reading / Listening - Food - Level 4

A study suggests ultra-processed foods and refined carbohydrates increase the risk of mental health problems. The research is in a nutrition journal. A dietitian said there was "a tremendous amount of high-quality data linking food to...worsening mental health." She advised people to cut down on sugary and low-fibre food to lower the chance of getting mood disorders. She said people should limit sugar, refined grains, and ultra-processed foods.

The study urged people to eat more high-fibre and fermented foods. It said plant-based diets could reduce depression. Such diets include "omega-3 fatty acids, colourful plants like berries, extra virgin olive oil, leafy greens, and lean sources of protein". These are known to help with depression. Related research from Australia supported the dietitian's findings. It said fermented food may lead to more positive moods and enhance learning.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Food - Level 5 or  Food - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.womansworld.com/wellness/mental-health/best-foods-to-relieve-anxiety-and-stress-naturally
  • https://www.aol.com/articles/foods-happiest-hint-not-think-040000867.html
  • https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/can-we-eat-our-way-to-better-mental-health-20251110-p5n94y.html


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. ultra-processed
  2. refined
  3. increase the
  4. mental health
  5. The research is in a nutrition
  6. a tremendous amount
  7. linking food to worsening
  8. She said people should
  1. mental health
  2. problems
  3. limit sugar
  4. of high-quality data
  5. risk
  6. carbohydrates
  7. foods
  8. journal

Paragraph 2

  1. The study urged people to eat
  2. high-fibre and
  3. plant-
  4. omega-3 fatty
  5. lean sources
  6. These are known to help
  7. lead to more positive
  8. enhance
  1. with depression
  2. based diets
  3. moods
  4. learning
  5. more
  6. acids
  7. of protein
  8. fermented foods

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

A study suggests ultra-processed (1) ________________________________________________ carbohydrates increase (2) ________________________________________________ mental health problems. The research is in (3) ________________________________________________. A dietitian said there was "a tremendous amount of high-quality data linking food to... (4) ________________________________________________." She advised people to cut down on sugary and low-fibre food to lower the chance (5) ________________________________________________ disorders. She said people should limit sugar, (6) ________________________________________________ ultra-processed foods.

The study (7) ________________________________________________ eat more high-fibre and fermented foods. It said plant-based diets (8) ________________________________________________. Such diets include "omega-3 fatty acids, colourful plants like berries, extra virgin olive oil, leafy (9) ________________________________________________ sources of protein". These are known to (10) ________________________________________________. Related research from Australia supported the dietitian's findings. It (11) ________________________________________________ may lead to more positive moods (12) ________________________________________________.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

Astudysuggestsultra-processedfoodsandrefinedcarbohydratesincre
asetheriskofmentalhealthproblems.Theresearchisinanutritionjourn
al.Adietitiansaidtherewas"atremendousamountofhigh-qualitydatali
nkingfoodto...worseningmentalhealth."Sheadvisedpeopletocutdow
nonsugaryandlow-fibrefoodtolowerthechanceofgettingmooddisor
ders.Shesaidpeopleshouldlimitsugar,refinedgrains,andultra-proce
ssedfoods.Thestudyurgedpeopletoeatmorehigh-fibreandfermente
dfoods.Itsaidplant-baseddietscouldreducedepression.Suchdietsinc
lude"omega-3fattyacids,colourfulplantslikeberries,extravirginoliv
eoil,leafygreens,andleansourcesofprotein".Theseareknowntohelpw
ithdepression.RelatedresearchfromAustraliasupportedthedietitian'
sfindings.Itsaidfermentedfoodmayleadtomorepositivemoodsanden
hancelearning.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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