Australian research published in 2007 found that vegetarians had poorer mental health, with 21–22% reporting depression compared with 15% of meat eaters. A 2012 German study found that mental disorders tended to follow the onset of a vegetarian diet.
Consumption of a vegetarian and/or vegan diet might be associated with an increased risk of depression, since vegan diets are lacking in vitamin B12, and vegetarian and vegan diets may be low in long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs); nutrients which are both important for brain function (Clarys et al., 2014).
A higher intake of fruits and vegetables has also been independently linked to a lower risk of depression and overall better mental wellbeing ( 5 ). Vegan diets tend to be rich in antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients shown to be protective against depression and depressive symptoms ( 6 ).
While nutrition plays a role in depressive symptoms, researchers say social factors and upset over the treatment of animals contribute to symptoms of depression. Vegetarians have around twice as many depressive episodes as meat-eaters, according to a new study.
Studies suggest a plant-based diet can support cognitive health and protect against dementia, Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases. Be sure you're getting enough omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12 and other nutrients critical for cognitive health, and avoid sugar, processed foods and high levels of fat.
Con: You may have possible nutrient deficiencies.
Some essential nutrients, such as vitamins B12 and D, calcium and iron, aren't available in many plant-based foods. Vegetarian diets may provide these nutrients as long as food intake is planned properly, but supplementation is sometimes necessary.
Although vegetarian eating does have a stellar health reputation, recent news has focused on what could be bad about vegetarian diets and more stringent vegan plans, including reports of stroke risk, harms to brain health, hair loss, and depression.
Some of the most common symptoms of a poor plant-based diet include mental fog and other neurological dysfunctions, such as insomnia and anxiety. Mental fog, or brain fog, can often be resolved and prevented through some simple nutritional interventions, such as diet changes and supplements.
Our results showed that individuals with a vegetarian diet did not present an increased risk of anxiety or depression.
Vegetarians displayed elevated prevalence rates for depressive disorders, anxiety disorders and somatoform disorders.
This relation was partly accounted for by better education and higher occupational social class, but it remained statistically significant after adjusting for these factors. There was no difference in IQ score between strict vegetarians and those who said they were vegetarian but who reported eating fish or chicken.
There are numerous research-proven health benefits to following a vegetarian diet, but only if you're doing it properly and not substituting meat with processed or high-fat vegetarian products. Both lacto-ovo vegetarians and vegans need to make sure they are getting adequate nutrition.
So they expected to find the vegetarians would have higher incidences of issues like depression, anxiety, and mood problems. Instead, they found the opposite result. Vegetarians scored lower on depression tests and had better mood profiles than their fish- and meat-eating peers.
To sum it up, many vegetarians and vegans choose to let go of their non-meat diet for multiple reasons: health, impulse, life events, and mood shifts.
Empathy. The study conducted by Preylo and Arikawa (2008) found that, compared to omnivores, vegetarians scored significantly higher on the subscales for fantasy, personal distress, empathetic concern, and perspective-taking, with the last two being the strongest predictors of vegetarianism.
According to a study on vegetarian diets and mental health, researchers found that vegetarians are 18 percent more likely to suffer from depression, 28 percent more prone to anxiety attacks and disorders, and 15 percent more likely to have depressive moods.
What Were the Results of the Study? The meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant difference between vegetarians and non-vegetarians, with vegetarians showing higher depression scores than non-vegetarians. Thus, vegetarians, on average, showed a more depressed mood than meat-eaters.
"If meat is simply removed and not substituted, the consumer is at risk of iron or B12 deficiency, anemia, and muscle wasting," Levy-Wollins explains.
Vegetarians only avoid meat, while vegans avoid all animal products, including dairy and eggs. Both vegan and vegetarian diets can be healthy, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits. Vegans may be more susceptible to nutritional deficiencies of iron, vitamin D, calcium, and protein.
Vegan diets have a possible advantage when it comes to sustainability and animal welfare, but vegetarian diets might be superior when it comes to nutrition and health benefits. Of course all of this depends on how well vegans and vegetarians plan and execute their nutrition.
Vegetarians have also been found to have lower risks for diabetes, diverticular disease and eye cataract. Overall mortality is similar for vegetarians and comparable non-vegetarians, but vegetarian groups compare favourably with the general population.
Simply, vegan face is a name for a slack, wasted look that is caused by an absence of protein in your diet. The skin is dry, sallow and flaky. Protein literally props up the face: it makes it look plump (in a good way) and fresh-faced and wakeful.
Compared with meat eaters, vegetarians tend to consume less saturated fat and cholesterol and more vitamins C and E, dietary fiber, folic acid, potassium, magnesium, and phytochemicals (plant chemicals), such as carotenoids and flavonoids.
Einstein was only a strict vegetarian for the last couple years of his life, decades after many of his most important scientific breakthroughs. There are countless records of Einstein eating meat, well into adulthood.