07:30 PM
Saturday 08 October 2022
I wrote – Yasmine El-Sawy:
A new study shows that people who stop eating meat are twice as likely to experience major depression as those who eat animal products normally.
Brazilian experts said it is not necessarily to blame only on stopping meat, but sometimes, people suffering from depression tend to vegetarianism, according to the British newspaper, “Daily Mail”.
Experts explained that both are common factors in depression, explaining that a vegetarian diet does not necessarily mean eating more vegetables, but it indicates an end to meat, despite the possibility of adopting unhealthy diets that include a large amount of trans fats and carbohydrates.
Also read: Vegetarian and Animal Diet – Which is Best for Your Child’s Health?
The study authors looked at food questionnaires for 14,216 adult Brazilian participants, aged 35-74 years.
The researchers compared the participants’ rates of major depression by interviewing psychiatrists who asked them about their feelings in detail.
The researchers also took into account some other lifestyle factors, such as smoking, alcohol use, physical activity and body mass index.
The results revealed that vegetarians were 2.37 times more likely to be depressed than meat eaters.
Experts pointed out that increased rates of depression are usually related to diet and its quality, but the study did not address the cause of the relationship and the link between them.