Abstract
Vegetarians and vegans are more preoccupied with their health and conscious of their food habits than omnivores and often have pronounced views on killing animals for food. They are generally aware of a healthy lifestyle. Their mental attitudes, strengths and vulnerabilities may differ from meat eaters. Nowadays, health considerations would seem to play a role in the decision to become vegetarian/vegan. This chapter presents an overview of the most recent scientific literature with some emphasis on aspects of the relation between psychiatric disorders and personality characteristics in subjects with a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle compared to subjects who do not follow this lifestyle.
Highlights
There are about 1.5 billion vegetarians worldwide, only 75 millions of whom are so by choice
Despite differences in methodology and quality of the studies, the authors conclude that ending meat consumption is not a good strategy to promote psychological health [36]. In another recent systematic review and meta-analysis, including 13 studies with 17.809 individuals, it was found that vegetarians/vegans are at a higher risk of developing depressions [37]
LaChance and Ramsey [44] found 12 antidepressant nutrients (folate, iron, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), magnesium, potassium, selenium, thiamine, vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin C, and zinc) which are found in plant foods like leafy greens, peppers and cruciferous vegetables, and sea-foods like mussels and oysters. These findings could lead to a ranking system of nutrients which can be used as a treatment opportunity for people with mental health issues
Summary
There are about 1.5 billion vegetarians worldwide, only 75 millions of whom are so by choice. People who favour ancient Indian lifestyles or habits such as yoga, are in favour of plant-based diets. People choose plant-based diets from different motives, such as health, taste/disgust, animal welfare, environmental concerns, and weight loss [4]. A growing number of people eat a plant-based diet because they are concerned about climate change [3]. It is not surprising, that psychological research on everyday eating habits and changing behaviours, lifestyle aspects and their consequences is growing [11]. This chapter discusses whether eating a plant-based diet influences mental state, and if so: is it different from that of people with other eating habits?
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
