A top nutritionist has dealt a major blow to veganism, revealing that meat is absolutely essential for preventing anxiety and depression.
Nutritional and metabolic psychiatrist Dr. Harvard-educated Georgia Ede explores the connection between food and physical and mental well-being.
Despite the recent rise in popularity of the vegan diet, they argue that giving up meat can be harmful to mental health.
“The brain needs meat,” she told KIRO News Radio. “We’re used to hearing that meat is dangerous for our overall health, including our brain health, and plants are the best way to nourish and protect our brains.”
“But the truth is, it’s actually — it’s upside down and upside down.
While consuming enough protein has long been a concern of vegan diets, according to Dr. Eating meat is more than just protein for Ede. According to her, “It’s less about the protein and more about all the other nutrients that are in the meat. You can meet your protein needs through a vegan and vegetarian diet if you plan it carefully.”
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Amino acids, the building blocks of protein, help in the development and maintenance of bones and muscles. Protein is abundant in animal products such as eggs, meat, cheese and Greek yogurt, but is also present in vegan foods such as broccoli and lentils.
According to Dr Ede: “But many other essential nutrients are much more difficult, if not impossible in some cases, to obtain from plants.”
She further noted that meat is one of the safest sources for blood sugar and insulin levels, and this food contains all the nutrients in the right form. These nutrients consist of iron, zinc, choline, vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids.
For example, vitamin B12 helps in the formation of DNA and oxygen-rich red blood cells. However, it is also associated with the regulation of mood-elevating serotonin; low levels of serotonin have been linked to an increased risk of anxiety and depression.
Additionally, because zinc helps reduce brain inflammation, a review published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology found a link between depression and reduced zinc levels. Many studies have revealed that meat eaters have better mental health.
A 2022 study surveyed 14,000 Brazilians between the ages of 35 and 74 and found that vegans were twice as likely to be depressed as meat-eaters while consuming the same amount of nutrients.
Additionally, a 2020 meta-analysis of 160,000 meat eaters and 8,500 meat abstainers found that those who eliminated meat from their diet had a significantly higher risk of depression.
Although vegan diets have gained popularity due to their apparent health benefits, they can have adverse health effects.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations analyzed more than 500 studies in 2023, which determined that animal forms of food provide “essential sources of much-needed nutrients.”
According to the organization, those who adopt a vegan diet may find it difficult to obtain this macro and micronutrients “in the required quality and quantity”.
In addition, it is “especially necessary” for children, young people, the elderly, and lactating and pregnant women to consume meat, eggs and milk.
A 2019 study also found that vitamin B12 deficiency, which is more common in vegans, may increase the risk of stroke. Its absence increases the risk of vascular damage by preventing the removal of proteins from the bloodstream and causing inflammation. This is a major risk factor for stroke.
According to US regulators, adults need about 2.4 mg of vitamin B12 per day to function properly.
