YES. NEXT QUESTION? Are Vegetarians Twice as Depressed as Meat Eaters?

Vegans and vegetarians who eat a colorful rainbow of fruits and vegetables (or, you know, a lot of french fries) might be more prone to dark feelings. A new study found that people who excluded meat from their diets had twice as many depressive episodes as omnivores.

To investigate the relationship between a meatless diet and depression among adults, a team of Brazil-based researchers gathered data from more than 14,000 people between the ages of 35 and 74 over a six-month period. They evaluated participants using the Clinical Interview Schedule-Revised instrument, a questionnaire that helps diagnose common mental disorders like depression and anxiety. “Depressive episodes are more prevalent in individuals who do not eat meat,” the authors concluded.

The researchers don’t yet know what’s causing the surprising relationship, but say they’ve ruled out some obvious suspects: nutritional deficiencies, socioeconomic conditions, and lifestyle factors like drinking, smoking, and differing levels of physical activity. More “longitudinal data are needed to clarify causal relationship,” the authors wrote.

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