Vegans and vegetarians are more prone to depression than meat-eaters: new study

Eating green food and feeling down? According to a recent study by Brazilian researchers published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, vegetarians experience depression episodes twice as frequently as meat eaters. According to the research, there is a "positive relationship between the occurrence of depressive episodes and a vegetarian diet." Scientists surveyed 14,216 participants between the ages of 35 and 74 over the course of six months in order to look into any possible links between a vegetarian diet and depression in adults. The Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised instrument, designed to identify common mental health issues, was used to evaluate them. Even after accounting for factors including cigarette smoking, alcohol use, physical activity, and micronutrient intake, it was discovered that vegetarians experienced twice as many depression episodes as meat eaters during the same time period. “Depressive episodes are more prevalent in individuals who do not eat meat, independently of socioeconomic and lifestyle factors,” the study concluded. “Nutrient deficiencies do not explain this association. The nature of the association remains unclear, and longitudinal data are needed to clarify causal relationship.” Many other research point to a clear connection between mood and eating. Those with major depressive symptoms who ate diets high in whole grains, lean protein, low-fat dairy, and plant foods were four times more likely to be in remission than those who consumed ultra-processed foods, according to research done in 2017. The study examined the diets of people with major depressive symptoms. A 2019 study that included fish oil supplements discovered a link between a Mediterranean diet and lessened depression. Animal protein consumption may make people happier, but plant-based diets have long been linked to a lower risk of heart disease. “For heart health protection, your diet needs to focus on the quality of plant foods,” Ambika Satija of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health said in a separate report, according to Harvard Health Publishing. But that doesn’t mean you need to completely give up steak and and chicken wings. Satija said, “It’s possible to benefit by reducing your consumption of animal foods without completely eliminating them from your diet.”