Meat eaters tend to have better psychological health than vegetarians

[Thesauron]

People who avoid meat consumption tend to have worse psychological health than those who eat meat, according to new research published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. The study, which did not draw any conclusions about causation, found that vegetarians/vegans were at a greater risk of depression, anxiety, and self-harm.

 

https://www.psypost.org/2020/05/meat-eaters-tend-to-have-better-psychological-health-than-vegetarians-56698

[Dages]

This topic just made me hungry, and I just had lunch  

 

[Raven]

Aha.

As they say in the scientific community, "correlation does not imply causation".

 

(Needless to say, organic food doesn't cause Autism.)

[dilip kumar]

But I am a occasional meat eater and I had depression ,anxiety etc 😁..

[Mykyl]

Stop calling unclean what Jehovah has called clean. He says its fine to eat meat and I'm fine with that.

Gimme a steak. 😊

 

I'm glad I have permission to eat both.

 

I know. I just reread the title. 😋 Wrong argument.

Edited May 6, 2020 by Mykyl

[daydream]

https://draxe.com/nutrition/8-salmon-nutrition-facts-proven-health-benefits/

The wild-caught salmon fillet nutrition profile makes it one of the world’s healthiest foods

 

Boosts Brain Function

Omega-3-rich foods have been shown to increase the efficiency of various brain functions, including improved memory.  Omega-3 fatty acids can also relieve inflammation to protect the nervous system from oxidative stress and age-related damage, and they may possibly act as an antidepressant as well.

 

 

 

[Miss Bea]

I think people who have chosen not to eat meat, may be more socially conscious. 
And, if you are, “socially conscious”, and, not in the truth, a major scenario for depression is set before you. This system is failing. No matter how much you care. 

[Thesauron]

Aha.
As they say in the scientific community, "correlation does not imply causation".
 

(Needless to say, organic food doesn't cause Autism.)

Vegetarianism or veganism doesn’t cause it, perhaps, but there might something to it anyway. Perhaps it is that the type of people who chose to abstain from meat are also more likely to have some kind of psychological issue underneath. This is the conclusion in this work: “The majority of studies, and especially the higher quality studies, showed that those who avoided meat consumption had significantly higher rates or risk of depression, anxiety, and/or self-harm behaviors.” Perhaps it is true that they are extra sensitive and therefore more prone to such psychological issues.

[Dustparticle]

What the problem with both of them it has chemicals in them. In the NW, it will be taken care of. I think we can live without meat in the NW too.

[Thesauron]

But I am a occasional meat eater and I had depression ,anxiety etc ..

Some meat eaters do. It is a chemical imbalance. Not everyone with anxiety/depression are vegetarian/vegan. What the study says is that there seem to be a correlation between abstaining from meat and depression, anxiety, etc. It doesn’t say that abstaining from meat causes it, just that there seems to be a connection. Perhaps these people are extra sensitive.

[Life4u]

11 hours ago, dilip kumar said:

But I am a occasional meat eater and I had depression ,anxiety etc 😁..

Me too! At one point, I ate meat more than vegetables. Didn't do me any good though I still developed anxiety, depression, and thoughts of self harm. 😄

[Raven]

5 hours ago, Thesauron said:

Vegetarianism or veganism doesn’t cause it, perhaps, but there might something to it anyway. Perhaps it is that the type of people who chose to abstain from meat are also more likely to have some kind of psychological issue underneath. This is the conclusion in this work: “The majority of studies, and especially the higher quality studies, showed that those who avoided meat consumption had significantly higher rates or risk of depression, anxiety, and/or self-harm behaviors.” Perhaps it is true that they are extra sensitive and therefore more prone to such psychological issues.

Maybe more on the lines of the type of people who are more likely to choose to be vegetarian/vegan, but certainly not caused by it. As in, there could be some kind of commonality with people who are more naturally sensitive choosing to be vegetarian/vegan for ethical reasons, and the fact that depression and anxiety develop from the inevitable negative experiences in life that are especially traumatic to the naturally sensitive. I could see something like that as plausible for a percentage of the population.

The thing is, humans were originally entirely vegetarian, and that's the way God meant it to be for us in the first place. My thinking is that He allowed humans to eat meat because in this imperfect world, getting enough of the right food would become a significant problem (especially with famines), and humans need to be sure they are getting enough out of their diet. So it was a loving decision on Jehovah's part to give humans permission to temporarily eat animals, while we have to survive in this imperfect world.

[Ludwika]

I intend to enjoy my chicken, my marinated lamb chops etc, just in case I'm not allowed them in the new world! Hope I don't end up like the meat craving Israelites!!! 😂

[EccentricM]

17 hours ago, Thesauron said:

 

People who avoid meat consumption tend to have worse psychological health than those who eat meat, according to new research published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. The study, which did not draw any conclusions about causation, found that vegetarians/vegans were at a greater risk of depression, anxiety, and self-harm.

 

https://www.psypost.org/2020/05/meat-eaters-tend-to-have-better-psychological-health-than-vegetarians-56698

 

As a meat eater, I'd have to ask, what is the root, the chicken or the egg? (no pun intended).

 

Many who go vegan do so often because they are sensitive over the nature of bringing animals to harm, and many such people will be ones who will be more emotional generally, and as such, prone to anxiety or depression. So is it the lack of meat, or is it just more people who "already have" such conditions are the ones in the vegan/vegetarian majority?

 

(Edi: aannnd other people made this point, I should have read other comments first, lol)

 

Edited May 7, 2020 by EccentricM

[EccentricM]

16 hours ago, Bjern said:

(Needless to say, organic food doesn't cause Autism.)

As someone who prefers organic and has ASD, it's possible many with the condition wish to improve their mental health due to having the condition!

[Raven]

7 minutes ago, EccentricM said:

As someone who prefers organic and has ASD, it's possible many with the condition wish to improve their mental health due to having the condition!

Now that's a statement that makes sense.

[Katty]

If there is a correlation, I'm guessing it could be due to incomplete nutrients. Not every vegetarian/vegan supplements the way they should. Only meat based foods, for instance, have a significant amount of B vitamins, and since B vitamins are water soluble, they don't get stored in the liver, so it's necessary to get enough on a daily basis, or it will have a big impact on neurological and psychological health.

[Raven]

3 hours ago, Katty said:

If there is a correlation, I'm guessing it could be due to incomplete nutrients. Not every vegetarian/vegan supplements the way they should. Only meat based foods, for instance, have a significant amount of B vitamins, and since B vitamins are water soluble, they don't get stored in the liver, so it's necessary to get enough on a daily basis, or it will have a big impact on neurological and psychological health.

Yeah, it's a common problem that people try to be vegetarians or vegans (especially in the case of vegans) and don't eat well enough, so they end up sick. We can't survive off junk food, no matter how vegan it is, and we need good variety of different types of healthy foods in our diet. It's important to research what foods one needs if they aren't going to be eating any meat or dairy or even eggs anymore. Also, if someone was considering becoming a vegetarian/vegan, I would recommend gradually transitioning their diet, rather than all at once, as that makes it easier to replace these foods with the right kinds of foods, and it's not so overwhelming.

[Hotteok]

I wonder if perfect people will be able to absorb all the nutrients they would need without having to turn to bloody meat to survive.

If not, I'd be happy to have some salmon or tuna.. or at least abalone. 

[Amygdala]

Nutritional yeast contains lots of B and other valuable vitamins. It has a cheesy taste, so I add it to alot of my dishes, sauces. But in particular when I make red beet burgers out of red beets, tofu, smoked liquid, and and nutritional yeast, containing a combination of iron, protein and B-vitamins and more. I have made "fried chicken" with gnocchi. Today there are alot of various multi-cultural vegetarian dishes that are simply delicious and not lacking in taste or satiety.

 

I have turned lots of vegetables and lentils into "meaty" dishes, it just requires alot of imagination...and time. Also added in lots of herbs and spices, and taking a multi-vitamin including Omegas, multi-vitamins, etc.

 

But the funny thing is, we are not vegetarians. But like the 3 young Hebrews, my husband and I do feel alot stronger and better when we go the week vegetarian, and actually have more energy during the day. I do alot of weight training, and alot of the greens I eat have protein, so I am not worried.

 

The other day I put in some organic chicken legs in our slow cooker, and somehow it had a different taste to it than the other chickens I have slow cooked in the past. Maybe it just didn't taste right, and made me want to go back veggie again. Yesterday though I had cevapici and enjoyed it very much!

 

But I could probably write a cookbook on some good, "meaty" type vegetarian dishes. We are healthy and are not prone to depression. My girlfriend is full on vegetarian, and she seems quite healthy and normal to me. Also lost 10 kgs.

[Amygdala]

I think maybe part of it is some vegetarians are so because of environmental reasons, or perhaps the thought of eating animals is too cruel, I don't know. But if a person just eats vegetables without variety everyday, that would make me feel depressed too! Also too much fruit consumption might lead to sugar problems. Before a person becomes vegetarian, he or she has to know how to make up for it in dishes, or will feel the lack of vitamins, and ultimately miss perhaps the taste in certain foods, adding to pyschological effects. But a little education on how to add all those good nutrients and how to cook vegetarian is important.

 

When I was single, I went through 2 years of straight only having a protein shake for breakfast, apple as a snack, lunch was some kind of salad, and dinner was also just a salad. I never even added salad dressing. I would eat a chocolate cookie as an afternoon snack, plus I used to exercise before work, during my lunch at the gym, and after work. I had no problems doing it and if I didn't meet my husband I probably would have just merrily continued that way, but it is definitely not sustainable. I went for a doc check up as I was worried that perhaps my iron levels or other levels were too low. The doctor told me that my blood tests revealed that I definitely wasn't eating  for eg. at McDonald's, and had optimal health. When I asked her about my iron levels, she said I consumed enough through the spinach and salads I was eating. I was pleasantly surprised. After I got married, well..so much for eating only salads and soups...lol Thankfully I discovered the joys of cooking!

Edited May 7, 2020 by Lieblingskind

[EccentricM]

12 minutes ago, Lieblingskind said:

My girlfriend

Might want to be careful of how you type that, I had to blink twice until I realised what you meant 😄

[Amygdala]

True. Maybe other cultures would be confused.

[Amygdala]

I should mention I tried vegetarian after we married, but didn't really know how to serve up a good variety of vegetarian dishes, and my husband was often tired and lacked energy. It is different now when I go or eat vegetarian. I know exactly what foods and what nutritional values I can add while cooking. Also we consume wheatgrass, chlorella, chia seeds, collagen, and other nutritional super foods in our diet, so we can stay healthy optimally.

 

I would say we are more pescatarian, but will occasionally eat meat. Also only wild caught fish.

Edited May 7, 2020 by Lieblingskind

[Thesauron]

This is not a dietary thread, discussing the upsides of one diet over the other, just a reflection over the fact that this study seems to have found a correlation between vegetarianism/veganism and mental disorder/anxiety. It is probably not the diet that causes it, but rather shows what kind of people chose such a diet, perhaps?