They take care of their health, but not their morale. Vegetarians are twice as likely to have depression as others. It is not the way of life that is in question, but rather their diet. By excluding meat from meals, vegetable lovers expose themselves to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. This link between diet and mood disorders is confirmed by a study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders and what details the Huffpost.
British researchers from the University of Bristol followed the dietary behavior of 10,000 participants, including 350 vegetarians. Nearly 50% of vegans “exclude animal products such as milk, honey and eggs and 7% of vegetarians had a vitamin B12 deficiency”, summarizes the site.
However, this vitamin is an essential “fuel” for the brain and for mood regulation. It is present in meat, but very little in vegetables or dairy products.
Vitamin B12 deficiency, but excess omega-6. Scientists have, in fact, found that vegetarians consume a lot of nuts that contain this fatty acid in quantity. Unlike omega-3s, found in fatty fish, omega-6s increase the risk of inflammation and mood disorders. To compensate for this imbalance, proposes the Huffpost, vegetarians should instead turn to “flax seeds, crushed or ground chia seeds, in lamb’s lettuce, almonds, rapeseed oil and hemp oil. »
Beyond the balanced diet, this study shows above all that vegetarians often suffer from a lack of nutritional information!
