Eating Meat May Improve Mental Health, While One In Three Vegans May Be Depressed
A recent study conducted at the University of Alabama (published in journal Critical Reviews) revealed A vegetarian or vegan diet could actually increase the chances of depression. The researchers looked at 18 different studies, examining more than 160,257 people while looking for links between their mental state and their dietary preference.
When talking about food, or getting down to eating it, the world is split into two different camps -- vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
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And people from these teams are truly proud of what they eat. They don¡¯t leave any opportunity to tell the other that their dietary choice is terrible. However, this new research will surely make the vegetarians think twice about their dietary choices.
A recent study conducted at the University of Alabama (published in journal Critical Reviews) revealed A vegetarian or vegan diet could actually increase the chances of depression. The researchers looked at 18 different studies, examining more than 160,257 people while looking for links between their mental state and their dietary preference.
They were able to conclude that vegetarians and vegans had a considerably higher rate of risk, depression, anxiety and self-harm. The study indicates that not consuming meat could be a ¡®behavioural marker¡¯ that indicates people are living with poor mental health.
Reuters
The researchers, however, do mention the fact that to prove this, a lot more research is necessary, to back it up.
Dr Edward Archer, from the University of Alabama and one of the study's authors, said ¡°While the risks and benefits of vegan and vegetarian diets have been debated for centuries, our results show that meat-eaters have better psychological health.
He added, ¡°These findings have implications when defining what constitutes a 'healthy diet'. Mental health may need to be emphasised when evaluating the benefits and risks of particular dietary patterns.¡±
Does it mean you should quit eating vegetarian food?
As much as people from team red would love that, Aseem Malhotra, an NHS consultant Cardiologist said in a tweet, mentioning the study, ¡°In general, if you want to avoid an increased risk of depression, anxiety and self-harm behaviour then do eat meat.
She added, ¡°If you're vegan or vegetarian for ethical reasons, then please personally invest extra in strategies to protect your mental health.¡±
