Meat-eatersare happier. A recent study of high scientific quality confirms what had already been revealed by previous research.
Meat-eaters suffer less anxiety and depression than vegans and vegetarians. A meta-analysis examined the effects of meat consumption on mental health, revealing significant differences between those mental health and those who don’t.
In parallel with increased mental disorders, vegetarianism and veganism became prevalent worldwide. Studies have investigated this report given the well-known positive effect of meat on appositive mood. Previous systematic reviews had already detected much lower rates of mental health problems in meat-eaters. With this new meta-analytical review, the strength of this report has been examined, providing a comprehensive quantitative assessment of high scientific quality.
Out of a total of 171,802 participants with 157,778 meat-eaters and 13,259 abstaining totally from its consumption, it emerged that vegans and vegetarians are significantly much more depressed and anxious. Especially in vegans, depression levels are very high, with an increased tendency to self-harm and suicide. In addition, in both groups that exclude meat entirely from the diet, a greater likelihood of drugs prescribed for mental problems has been found.
A recent study of high scientific quality confirms: #meat-eaters suffer less #anxiety and depression than #vegans and #vegetarians. Click To Tweet
The meta-analysis has also shown that the more rigorous the study is, the more positive and consistent is the relationship between meat consumption and a greater sense of well-being. Meat-eaters have better moods, less perception of stress, and a higher quality of life, as what we eat has a significant influence on our psyche. This study finally provides reliable quantitative evidence on the relationship between diet and mental health.
The conclusions also refer to the past studies of poor scientific quality that put meat in a bad light due to severe methodological errors, wrong design and distorted and selective sampling strategies. Many of these studies that show the superiority of the vegan diet has recruited samples from vegan and vegetarian websites, social network groups, restaurants, and vegan communities. This creates a falsified data collection that leads to unreliable results, especially if solid ideologies towards eating behaviours emotionally drive participants.
That is why all the newer and scientifically superior studies show that meat is not the cause of pathologies, even in higher doses than recommended. Meat has a proven beneficial active role in a good mood, effectively helping to ward off anxiety and depression. Policymakers and medical communities should be aware of these conclusions to direct future research and re-evaluate unjustly blamed nutritious food. These findings are not the first to show that a restrictive diet can threaten good mental health and are also crucial for updating clinical practice in treating mental disorders.
