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.

Vegetarians at greater risk of eating disorders and suicide

This post includes a summary of a paper published in the Journal of Adolescent Health Volume 29, Issue 6, Pages 406-416 (December 2001) and a recipe for BBQ beef ribs.

Study title and authors:
Characteristics of vegetarian adolescents in a multiethnic urban population

Books:

Cheryl L. Perry, Ph.D.a, Maureen T. Mcguire, Ph.D.a, Dianne Neumark-Sztainer, Ph.D.a, Mary Story, Ph.D.a

a Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

This paper can be accessed at: http://www.jahonline.org/article/S1054-139X(01)00258-0/abstract
 
Perry found:

• Vegetarians are at greater risk than others for involvement in unhealthy and extreme weight control behaviors
• Vegetarian males are at particularly high risk
• Vegetarians more often reported having been told by a physician that they had an eating disorder (anorexia, bulimia etc) and were more likely to have contemplated and attempted suicide

More information on this subject: Books : Scientific Studies : Other Websites : Videos : Food Mall 

Recipe of the day

BBQ Beef Ribs

Ingredients:

Food Mall: Beef Back Ribs

Beef back ribs

Garlic powder
Onion powder
Crack black pepper
Kosher salt

Other items:
Gas grill
Wood chips (any kind)
Wood chip box (or foil packets)
Wooden skewers

Instructions:
First soak the wood chips in water.

Rinse, pat dry with paper towel season the ribs with seasoning. You really can use any that you like or none at all. It is up to you. Pat down the seasonings with your hand. Then cut in half to the best of your ability.

This would be a good time to fire up the gas grill. Remove the "warming rack". You can notice the "Dirty Side" is where the the meat will be and the drippings fall on the ceramic briquettes. The cast iron wood chip box goes directly over the heat. Put the fire on high to get the box hot and the chips smoking. This can take around 20 minutes or more.

Make rib "tents". You will need the skewers. Take two halves and lean the tops like a tent. and use a skewer to keep them together. The thicker ends at the bottom, Just push the skewers through the meat between the bones. They will probably be at an angle. Once through just snap off the end and use the other half on the other end. It does not need a point. Just push and it will go through. They are pretty stable.

Once the wood box starts to smoke a little put the ribs on the rack opposite of the wood box.

Now close the lid and get the temperature to around 400 degrees and cook for two hours.

After two hours of cooking the Beef ribs should be fully cooked and pretty tender. The areas of the ribs will little meat were crunchy.

BBQ Beef Ribs



Half of anorexia nervosa patients are vegetarian, despite only 3.2% of the population been vegetarian

This post includes a summary of a paper published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders Volume 13, Issue 2, pages 229–233, March 1993 and a recipe for oyster and wild mushroom stew.

Books:

Study title and authors:

Dietary zinc intake of vegetarian and nonvegetarian patients with anorexia nervosa
Rita Bakan Ph.D. Faculty1,*, Carl L. Birmingham B.Sc., M.D. Associate Professor2, Laurel Aeberhardt R.D.N. Intensive Care Unit3, Elliot M. Coldner B.Sc., M.D. Clinical Assistant Professor4

This paper can be accessed at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1098-108X(199303)13:2%3C229::AID-EAT2260130211%3E3.0.CO;2-1/abstract

Despite only 3.2 percent of the population been vegetarian, approximately half of anorexia nervosa patients are vegetarian a practice that may also increase their risk for zinc deficiency.

More information on this subject: Books : Scientific Studies : Other Websites : Videos : Food Mall 

Recipe of the day

Oyster and Wild Mushroom Stew

serves 6

Food Mall: Oysters

Ingredients:

•2 Tablespoons butter

•1 leek, white part only, finely diced
•1 shallot, finely diced
•1 rib celery, finely diced
•1/4 pound wild mushrooms, cleaned and chopped
•1/2 cup white wine
•24 oysters, shucked, liquor reserved
•1 cup coconut milk
•Juice of 1 lemon
•1 plum tomato, peeled, seeded, diced
•Tarragon, chopped
•Chives, chopped

Preparation:
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the leeks, shallots, celery, and mushrooms. Saute until tender but not colored.

Add the wine and oyster liquor and reduce by half. Add the heavy cream and reduce until nappe, slightly thickened.

Add the lemon juice, oysters, and tomatoes.

Spoon the stew into center of soup plate. Garnish with chives and tarragon.

Oyster and Wild Mushroom Stew