Could a burger a day keep depression away?
A new study published by the Journal of affective disorders found that beef was the only food linked to a lower risk of depression.
The researchers wanted to investigate the association between vegetarianism and depression among adults.
They asked 14,216 people in Brazil between the ages of 35 and 74 if they followed a meatless diet and interviewed the participants to identify their episodes of depression.
In looking at the association between plant-based diets and mental well-being, the scientists took into account other variables, including sociodemographic parameters, smoking or alcohol habits, physical activity levels, self-rated health status, rate of body mass and nutrition during the previous six months. .
The researchers found that meatless diets actually caused people to experience depressive episodes twice as often as those who ate beef.
The study authors wrote that “nutrient deficiencies do not explain this association,” but other experts take a different view.
Nutrients found in beef, including iron, B vitamins, zinc, and protein, support brain function and may be valuable in preventing depressive episodes.
“Any time a person excludes an entire food group—in this case, sources of protein and fat—and fails to replace it with equally nutritionally adequate options, it will affect a range of systemic and physiological functions, such as human health. cognitive,” said Monique Richard, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, told Healthline.
Richard, who was not involved in the study, said that to find out if nutrient deficiencies were the cause of the findings, more tests would have to be done.
“Other factors that would be important to assess would be whether the person feels isolated or disconnected from others in relation to their dietary choice,” Richard said.
In fact, the researchers concluded that the association is unclear and that more data would be needed to clarify the relationship.
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