Eating meat is associated with better mental health

This study was published in the International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity 2012 Jun 7;9(1):67

Study title and authors:
Vegetarian diet and mental disorders: results from a representative community survey.

Michalak J, Zhang XC, Jacobi F.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22676203

The study investigated the association between meat eaters or vegetarians and mental disorders. The study included 4,181 participants, aged 18 to 65 years and examined the prevalence rates of mental disorders at one month, 12 months and lifetime.

(Prevalence rates is the proportion of people in a population who have a particular disease over a specified period of time).

The following mental disorders were investigated:
(i) Depressive disorders: Major depressive disorder, dysthymic disorder.
(ii) Anxiety disorders: Panic disorder (with or without agoraphobia), agoraphobia without a history of panic disorder; specific phobias, social phobia; obsessive-compulsive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder.
(iii) Somatoform disorders and syndromes: Somatization Disorder, “abridged somatization disorder” hypochondriasis and pain disorder.
(iv) Eating disorders: Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa (including atypical anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa).

The study found:
(a) Regarding depressive disorders:
(a:i) Vegetarians had 44% higher one month prevalence risk of depressive disorders than meat eaters.
(a:ii) Vegetarians had 75% higher 12 month prevalence risk of depressive disorders than meat eaters.
(a:iii) Vegetarians had 48% higher lifetime prevalence risk of depressive disorders than meat eaters.
(b) Regarding anxiety disorders:
(b:i) Vegetarians had 76% higher one month prevalence risk of anxiety disorders than meat eaters.
(b:ii) Vegetarians had 87% higher 12 month prevalence risk of anxiety disorders than meat eaters.
(b:iii) Vegetarians had 77% higher lifetime prevalence risk of anxiety disorders than meat eaters.
(c) Regarding somatoform disorders:
(c:i) Vegetarians had 72% higher one month prevalence risk of somatoform disorders than meat eaters.
(c:ii) Vegetarians had 104% higher 12 month prevalence risk of somatoform disorders than meat eaters.
(c:iii) Vegetarians had 93% higher lifetime prevalence risk of somatoform disorders than meat eaters.
(d) Regarding eating disorders:

For eating disorders prevalence risk could not be calculated accurately. However, descriptively the study found elevated one month, 12 month and lifetime prevalence rates in the vegetarian group.

 

The study also compared the kinds of food eaten by the participants with and without mental disorders.

 

The study found for meat consumption:

(e) Regarding depressive disorders:

(e:i) Those with a one month prevalence of depressive disorders consumed 5.4% less meat than those without a one month prevalence of depressive disorders.

(e:ii) Those with a 12 month prevalence of depressive disorders consumed 6.2% less meat than those without a 12 month prevalence of depressive disorders.

(e:iii) Those with a lifetime prevalence of depressive disorders consumed 7.6% less meat than those without a one month prevalence of depressive disorders.

(f) Regarding anxiety disorders:

(f:i) Those with a one month prevalence of anxiety disorders consumed 4.8% less meat than those without a one month prevalence of anxiety disorders.

(f:ii) Those with a 12 month prevalence of anxiety disorders consumed 5.6% less meat than those without a 12 month prevalence of anxiety disorders.

(f:iii) Those with a lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders consumed 5.1% less meat than those without a one month prevalence of anxiety disorders.

(g) Regarding somatoform disorders:

(g:i) Those with a one month prevalence of somatoform disorders consumed 7.4% less meat than those without a one month prevalence of somatoform disorders.

(g:ii) Those with a 12 month prevalence of somatoform disorders consumed 5.6% less meat than those without a 12 month prevalence of somatoform  disorders.

(g:iii) Those with a lifetime prevalence of somatoform disorders consumed 6.2% less meat than those without a one month prevalence of somatoform disorders.

(h) Regarding eating disorders:

(h:i) Those with a one month prevalence of eating disorders consumed 181.3% less meat than those without a one month prevalence of eating disorders.

(h:ii) Those with a 12 month prevalence of eating disorders consumed 70.7% less meat than those without a 12 month prevalence of eating disorders.

(h:iii) Those with a lifetime prevalence of eating disorders consumed 0.3% less meat than those without a one month prevalence of eating disorders.

 

The results of the study strongly demonstrate that diets containing meat are associated with better mental health.