German scientists have shown that the lack of meat in the diet is associated with an increased risk of depressive disorders.
Some scientific studies show that there is a connection between depressive symptoms and a vegetarian diet, while others are the opposite. Scientists from the Universities of Ruhr and Duisburg-Essen (Germany) conducted a study on a very large sample - 49,889 people, 8057 of whom were vegetarians. An article about this was published in the Journal of Affective Disorder.
The researchers used a statistical program to search for estimates of mood disorders. As a result, scientists have found significant increases in depression rates in vegetarians compared to those who eat meat.
True, the authors of the work do not seek to draw any unambiguous conclusions whether depression could be associated with diet or was the cause of some other factors. For example, one of the additional studies analyzed showed that most often people with depressive symptoms switch to a vegetarian diet after the onset of the disorder, suggesting that there is no causal relationship.
Depression can also increase a person's concern for their health, which will also contribute to the transition to certain types of nutrition, such as vegetarianism. Depressive symptoms can also increase general compassion for animals. So far, however, these are only assumptions. To establish the true cause, the authors of the article intend to conduct additional research - with the participation of more people from different countries.