Page 38 - Spring2013

Not only did Aiming to cure my tooth decay, I began their lives just as they adhere more strongly to

my tooth incorporating nutrient-dense animal foods such the teachings of their religion. Regardless of the
as cod liver oil, liver and other organ meats, bone precise reason for this one anomaly, six out of
decay come to broths, and animal skins into my diet. Not only these seven studies found that vegetarians are
a crashing did my tooth decay come to a crashing halt, but more likely to experience mental disorders.
halt after within months my anxiety disorders disappeared. Nevertheless, all of these studies have sev-
I thus realized that my health, both physical and eral limitations: they relied on self-reporting
adding mental, had undergone a revolution. of mental disorders rather than on professional
nutrient- diagnosis; they were conducted in limited popu-
dense animal VEGETARIANISM AND MENTAL lations, most of them in adolescents, one in
young women, and one in Seventh-Day Ad-
DISORDERS
foods, but To understand why nutrient-dense animal ventists; none of them were matched for socio-
within months foods seem to have cured my anxiety disorders, demographic characteristics, which are known
my anxiety it makes sense to ask a simple question: was I to differ between vegetarians and their non-
alone? Or do others who exclude animal products vegetarian counterparts; and none of them
disorders from their diet also struggle with mental disor- determined whether the subjects developed
disappeared. ders? Prior to 2012, seven studies had addressed mental disorders before or after they became
this question. Four found that vegetarians were vegetarians.
more likely than non-vegetarians to have eating A study published in 2012 addressed each of
disorders, 1,2,3,4 two found they were more likely these limitations. The study included over four
8
to be depressed, one found they had lower thousand respondents to the German National
5,6
self-esteem and more anxiety, and one found Health Interview and Examination Survey and
3
they were more likely to have contemplated or its Mental Health Supplement, reflecting the
attempted suicide. general population of Germany rather than a
1
One study conducted among Seventh-Day specific subgroup. Clinically trained psycholo-
Adventists, however, found that vegetarians gists and physicians assessed the prevalence
within this religious group had fewer negative of mental disorders by administering a diag-
emotions than their non-vegetarian counterparts. nostic interview rather than relying on self-
7
Although Seventh-Day Adventism does not re- reporting. The investigators took into account
quire vegetarianism, it strongly encourages this socio-demographic characteristics such as age,
way of eating. It is possible this study stands education, sex, marital status and community
apart from the others because vegetarians within size, which was important because vegetarians
this group experience greater esteem among their were younger, more educated, more likely to be
peers, are more confident in their own spiritual- female, less likely to be married, and more likely
ity, or are more conscientious in other areas of to come from an urban environment. Finally, the

SUMMARY

• My anxiety disorders became seriously aggravated on a vegetarian diet but were resolved after including nutrient-
dense animal foods in my diet.
• Consistent with my personal experience, seven out of eight studies have shown that vegetarians are more likely than
their non-vegetarian counterparts to experience mental disorders.
• These studies cannot prove cause and effect, but vegetarian diets may induce a number of nutrient deficiencies that
could contribute to the development of mental disorders.
• Vitamin B , folate, methionine and glycine support the proper regulation of a biochemical process called methylation,
12
which in turn regulates the neurotransmitter dopamine.
• This biochemical process contributes to the appropriate balance between mental stability and mental flexibility, which
is needed for optimal mental health.
• Meat, bones, skin and organ meats such as liver provide a balance of the nutrients needed to support the proper
regulation of methylation, and thus to support robust and vibrant mental health.
• Nutrient-dense plant foods are also beneficial.
38 Wise Traditions SPRING 2013 SPRING 2013 Wise Traditions