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Link between a vegetarian diet and depression?

post #1 of 18
2/5/06 at 11:48am
Thread Starter 
I was recently diagnosed with depression and prescribed Wellbutrin, a non-SSRI anti-depressant. I saw in the other thread about anti-depressants that quite a few people here are knowledgable about them. I also have a friend who is a vegetarian who thinks she should probably be on anti-depressants.



I know depression is fairly common, especially with college students like myself, but does anyone know if vegetarians are more likely than most to suffer from depression?
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post #2 of 18
2/5/06 at 12:03pm
I would say that as veg*ns, we are more sensitive to the tragedies that surround us, so it makes us more susceptible to depression & anxiety.

When you think about the billions of animals brutalized & then EATEN... I mean, if this life isn't hell, I don't know what is.

There was another thread about this on here a while ago too...
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post #3 of 18
2/5/06 at 12:25pm
Thread Starter 
Hmm. I guess I understand what you mean, because I've felt that way before but that's definitely not a cause for my depression right now
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post #4 of 18
2/5/06 at 1:05pm
ive noticed an increase in depression with increasing my knowledge of the human condition.. similar to what organica said. also, all the people i grew up loving i now see are damaged or otherwise held back by this same condition. this is what hurts me the most. it is perfectly natural to be depressed living in an environment that is overstressful, and there is nothing wrong with the chemistry of one's brain in this situation. vegetarians, by being vegetarian, are taking at least the first step in trying to live against the grain of the foundations of modernism; consumption, greed, and individualism. it is stressful to live in an area where the majority of the mindsets conflict with your own.



ps: please be careful with drugs, and try to do your own, personal research...
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post #5 of 18
2/5/06 at 1:37pm
I don't think so, really, because a healthy diet is extremely helpful to mental health. If one is eating a good balanced vegetarian diet, one is eating about as healthily as one can. Basics to the veg diet, such as complex carbs, actually help regulate seratonin production, so you are likely to have less depression (all other things being equal) on a veg diet than a "normal" American style omni diet (which is just bad for you all over).



For more about food as medicine I recommend the book "The Green Pharmacy" by James Duke (his website http://www.ars-grin.gov/duke/). In the book he discusses veg foods which help regulate mood.
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post #6 of 18
2/5/06 at 1:41pm
I was depressed before my vegetarianism. However, it is important that we get our essential fatty acids which help our brains stay healthy.

http://www.veganhealth.org/articles/dha
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post #7 of 18
2/5/06 at 2:08pm
I was depressed well before I went veg*n. I don't think they are connected. In fact I felt better after I left the meat behind.
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post #8 of 18
2/5/06 at 4:45pm
Depression is so very common in westernized culture that I doubt anecdotal information would be at all helpful in getting at the root of that question. I became profoundly depressed for about a month when I went veg, but it was solely because of all the horrible things that I learned about in the process of educating myself about the realities of meat. Being vegetarian has been the key to recovering from that depression.



HOWEVER, I can't help wondering myself how careful the vegans and near-vegans around here are about supplementing their omega-3 fatty acids, and whether there could be a connection there, like Thalia said.
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post #9 of 18
2/5/06 at 5:15pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ludi View Post

I don't think so, really, because a healthy diet is extremely helpful to mental health. If one is eating a good balanced vegetarian diet, one is eating about as healthily as one can.



you know what, now that i think about it, my depression status definitely improved with improved diet. i depress over different reasons now, but i can identify them and that helps big time.



and i just started grinding up some flax like a good boy!
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post #10 of 18
2/5/06 at 5:28pm
I've only met one manic depressed person in my life (that I know of, many don't like to release that information) and she was omni. One is obviously an insufficient sample size for anything, but it is just my experience.



I have never heard of this correlation, but if anyone has some good information about it I would like to see.
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post #11 of 18
2/5/06 at 5:37pm
If there were any compelling connection between veg*nism and depression, believe me the meat industry would have let you know by now, and funded study after study after study...

"If you want to know where you would have stood on slavery before the civil war, don't look at where you stand on slavery today, look at where you stand on animal rights." - Paul Watson.

 

Every animal you eat
was running for her life

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"If you want to know where you would have stood on slavery before the civil war, don't look at where you stand on slavery today, look at where you stand on animal rights." - Paul Watson.

 

Every animal you eat
was running for her life

Reply
post #12 of 18
2/5/06 at 6:32pm
--
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post #13 of 18
2/5/06 at 6:34pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bigdufstuff View Post

I've only met one manic depressed person in my life (that I know of, many don't like to release that information) and she was omni. One is obviously an insufficient sample size for anything, but it is just my experience.



I have never heard of this correlation, but if anyone has some good information about it I would like to see.



Hi! I have manic depression and I'm still omni (so's my sis). We're mainly counselled to avoid overdoing it with alcohol and caffiene, though I've met a manic depressive who claimed to treat his depression with caffiene. A lot of manic depressives are caffiene addicts and/or alcoholics. I think a very healthy diet with plenty of omega 3 can go a long way toward helping folks with manic depression. There's some evidence people with bipolar or schizophrenia might not metabolize some nutrients as easily as other people and need supplements.
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post #14 of 18
2/5/06 at 7:33pm
I know a lot of depressed people, all are meat eaters. Myself, my depression has to do with my parents and upbringing, not my diet.
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post #15 of 18
2/6/06 at 4:56am
I don't think it causes depression, but I do think when you're veg*n you're alot more aware of your body and what you are feeling both physically and mentally.
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post #16 of 18
2/6/06 at 5:20am
I think a lot of depression has to do with the stresses of the world, we're generally expected to deal with such an enormous burden of stressful action, noise, juggling jobs and families, knowledge of world events etc etc. I think this causes many people who would not necessarily express depression under a less stressful life to develop depressive symptoms. Our modern life is really geared to cause people to become ill, both physically and mentally. Anything we can do to relieve stress in our lives will help, and I don't mean taking pills to cover up the root causes. Our way of life itself is unhealthy. Veg*ns in general I think are addressing some of these unhealthful aspects, and they are so often more in touch with their health in general than other people. I don't think this makes them depressed, but it may make them more aware of how they are feeling and reacting to things. I feel that veg*ans are taking steps toward a way of life which is really healthier, and addressing some root problems, such as our agricultural system and food supply.
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post #17 of 18
2/6/06 at 6:19am
i had depression from the age of 15 - 18..and with a couple courses of mild anti-depressants, it never came back.



i'm pretty sure its not got anything to do with my diet.



i've been veggie since i was 12... and i went vegan when i was 17. i'm happier & healthier than i have ever been.
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post #18 of 18
2/6/06 at 6:35am
No, there is no correlation.
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