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Meat and mental health: Meat eaters suffer less depression, anxiety

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Re: Meat and mental health: Meat eaters suffer less depression, anxiety

#181

Post by AnonC »

jdavis703 wrote: post #155
Iv wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is easy to lack some vitamins or nutrients while going on a vegan diet. Some of them have an impact on mental health. Unless you are very comited into calculating your intake in every mineral and vitamin, I would recommend to take some supplements if you are going vegan (which is something I support but did not totally go through yet)

Look in to creatine. Studies suggest that it may increase cognition for vegetarians (but not omnivores). Again this has only been demonstrated in a couple of studies. But if you’re on a plant-based diet consider giving it a try. Omega-3 fats can also be important, but I’m not sure if there’s any vegan options there (it’s been a few years, maybe someone is synthesizing them now.)

> Omega-3 fats can also be important, but I’m not sure if there’s any vegan options there (it’s been a few years, maybe someone is synthesizing them now.)

Which Omega-3 fatty acids are you referring to? It can’t be all of them. There are plant sources like flax seeds, walnuts and others for ALA and EPA. DHA is the one that’s a bit difficult to get (or be synthesized in the body from the others). That has been solved by algal oil or algae based supplements (fish get DHA from algae).

Re: Meat and mental health: Meat eaters suffer less depression, anxiety

#182

Post by chmod600 »

marricks wrote: post #94
travoc wrote: post #66

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Who else is going to find a study that might show meat is good?

A far more believable source would be a university studying causes of depression. Literally anyone else not profiting off meat would be more believable though.

Universities are prone to fads and political correctness. Try publishing results that are unpopular in academic circles, and see how long your funding lasts.

Sure, it would be more believable if they did. But they won't.

Re: Meat and mental health: Meat eaters suffer less depression, anxiety

#183

Post by chmod600 »

jhanschoo wrote: post #178
King-Aaron wrote: post #9

I'd say the first big thing to highlight is that correlation is not causation - you wouldn't want someone to take this study as proof that eating meat makes you less depressed. I would imagine that vegans (in particular vegans who chose their diet on ethical grounds) are overall more concerned about the state of the world around them - or are at least subjected to more of an echo-chamber effect from their peers - whi…

My two cents being a vegetarian 6/7 days a week is that day-to-day figuring out where / what you can eat, how to meet nutritional needs, what to cook, etc. gives me more stress than any philosophical concerns.

People forget that veganism and vegetarianism are not diets. They are the opposite: telling you what not to eat.

Developing a good diet from scratch is no easy thing. It's a lot easier to follow your family and culture around you with some minor adaptations.

Re: Meat and mental health: Meat eaters suffer less depression, anxiety

#184

Post by chmod600 »

cyounkins wrote: post #54
zebraflask wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wonder if more bioavailable B vitamins from a meat-heavy diet has anything to do with it. Vegetarian diets, as I understand the common saying, need to actively contain or be supplemented with B vitamin sources. If you're veg but live on nutrient-poor junk food, I could see nutritional deficiencies entering the mix. I think it's relatively uncontroversial that malnutrition has mental health side effects.

Of the B vitamins, vegans (and to a lesser extent, vegetarians) only need to supplement B12. B12 is produced by bacteria but can be obtained in meat and animal products. Historically we got plenty from unsterilized water.

Do you have a citation about the unsterilized water?

I would guess that lots of things had bacteria, but not in large enough quantities to supply enough B12. It would need to be accumulated somehow.

Cows have special hardware in their digestive tract to cultivate bacteria that can supply the B12. Why would that exist if cows could just get it from unsterilized water?

Re: Meat and mental health: Meat eaters suffer less depression, anxiety

#185

Post by chmod600 »

rank0 wrote: post #113
BrianHenryIE wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

B12 is fun. Livestock is supplemented with B12. Meat-based diets need their meat to be actively supplemented with B vitamin sources. If you're a carnist but live on nutrient-poor junk food, I could see nutritional deficiencies entering the mix. I think it's relatively uncontroversial that malnutrition has mental health side effects.

Animals not in factory farms don’t need this supplementation.

I see that your comment is downvoted a shade, but I'd like to know whether it is true or false. Do you (or anyone else) have a citation?

Re: Meat and mental health: Meat eaters suffer less depression, anxiety

#186

Post by rank0 »

chmod600 wrote: post #185
rank0 wrote: post #113

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Animals not in factory farms don’t need this supplementation.

I see that your comment is downvoted a shade, but I'd like to know whether it is true or false. Do you (or anyone else) have a citation?

You could do a quick search but I think common sense should suffice here.

How did all the (meat eating) humans survive before b12 supplements were around? Animals surely do not receive supplements in the wild. In the factories is where they are deprived of their natural diet that would provide the b12.

Re: Meat and mental health: Meat eaters suffer less depression, anxiety

#187

Post by jhanschoo »

chmod600 wrote: post #183
jhanschoo wrote: post #178

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My two cents being a vegetarian 6/7 days a week is that day-to-day figuring out where / what you can eat, how to meet nutritional needs, what to cook, etc. gives me more stress than any philosophical concerns.

People forget that veganism and vegetarianism are not diets. They are the opposite: telling you what not to eat. Developing a good diet from scratch is no easy thing. It's a lot easier to follow your family and culture around you with some minor adaptations.

> They are the opposite: telling you what not to eat.

There doesn't seem to be a difference to this to me. When I go to the supermarket or eat out I simply have a lot of choices excluded from me.

> It's a lot easier to follow your family and culture around you with some minor adaptations.

While I wrote what to cook, I guess figuring out what dishes I want to cook isn't really tough. I'm more stressed by logistical issues: it's more necessary to be able to cook, and also, when you're lazy or don't have time, pre-mix and intermediate ingredients that allow you to skip steps usually don't cater to the vegetarian or vegan.

Re: Meat and mental health: Meat eaters suffer less depression, anxiety

#188

Post by valtism »

icey wrote: post #115

An anecdote: I have been 100% carnivore for the past two months. The last vegetable I ate was in August. I’ve eaten 10 grams of carbs in that time period (in the form of vitamin C tablets early on), and zero fiber. My anxiety levels are subjectively lower, I’ve had fewer instances of insomnia, I’ve lost 20lbs of water + fat weight while maintaining an active lifestyle (standing desk all day + running 20+ miles a week…

Are you worried about the impact your diet has on the environment?

Re: Meat and mental health: Meat eaters suffer less depression, anxiety

#189

Post by [deleted] »

bluedevil2k wrote: post #143
SavantIdiot wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you are missing a huge point. A society is made up of lots of "one person" entities. For your argument to be valid, I need to accept that you seriously believe the OP was claiming one person can fix climate change. So which is it?

People not eating meat will lower demand, the price goes down, someone who couldn’t afford meat before now can and eats the meat. Either way, that cow is getting eaten. See my other comment…Meat consumption in China is up 30% over the last 7 years and expected to continue to climb. Meat producers will find a hungry mouth somewhere in the world to feed.

[deleted]

Re: Meat and mental health: Meat eaters suffer less depression, anxiety

#190

Post by [deleted] »

bluedevil2k wrote: post #143
SavantIdiot wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think you are missing a huge point. A society is made up of lots of "one person" entities. For your argument to be valid, I need to accept that you seriously believe the OP was claiming one person can fix climate change. So which is it?

People not eating meat will lower demand, the price goes down, someone who couldn’t afford meat before now can and eats the meat. Either way, that cow is getting eaten. See my other comment…Meat consumption in China is up 30% over the last 7 years and expected to continue to climb. Meat producers will find a hungry mouth somewhere in the world to feed.

[deleted]
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