WOMEN WHO CUT OUT RED MEAT ‘TWICE AS LIKELY TO SUFFER FROM DEPRESSION OR ANXIETY’
As a former vegan who’s health failed miserably, I recall very vividly the first time I ate red meat again. I often say that I quite literally felt my cells sing with delight. My MENTAL and PHYSICAL health recovery began almost instantaneously as did my search for ethical meat.
Published on: March 21, 2012
by Emma Reynolds for The Daily Mail:
Women who cut red meat out of their diet are more likely to suffer from depression and anxiety, according to a study.
Those who eat less than the recommended amount of lamb and beef were twice as likely to be diagnosed with the mental health disorders, researchers in Australia have found.
The study of more than 1,000 women showed that completely switching to protein such as chicken and fish is not as healthy as many believe.
‘We had originally thought that red meat might not be good for mental health, as studies from other countries had found red meat consumption to be associated with physical health risks, but it turns out that it actually may be quite important,’ said Felice Jacka, from Deakin University, Victoria.
‘When we looked at women consuming less than the recommended amount of red meat in our study, we found that they were twice as likely to have a diagnosed depressive or anxiety disorder as those consuming the recommended amount.’
The associate professor added: ‘Even when we took into account the overall healthiness of the women’s diets, as well as other factors such as their socio-economic status, physical activity levels, smoking, weight and age, the relationship between low red meat intake and mental health remained.
‘Interestingly, there was no relationship between other forms of protein, such as chicken, pork, fish or plant-based proteins, and mental health.Vegetarianism was not the explanation either. Only 19 women in the study were vegetarians, and the results were the same when they were excluded from the study analyses.’
But the professor, whose results have been published in the journal Psychotherapy Psychosomatics, advised women not to exceed the recommended amount of red meat either.
‘We found that regularly eating more than the recommended amount of red meat was also related to increased depression and anxiety,’ she said.
‘We already know that the overall quality of your diet is important to mental health. But it seems that eating a moderate amount of lean red meat, which is roughly 3-4 small, palm-sized serves a week, may also be important.’
The study by Deakin’s Barwon Psychiatric Research Unit took place in the Geelong region. Associate Professor Jacka also suggested that women should stick to organic, grass-fed meats whenever possible.
‘We know that red meat in Australia is a healthy product as it contains high levels of nutrients, including the omega-3 fatty acids that are important to mental and physical health,’ she said.
‘This is because cattle and sheep in Australia are largely grass fed. In many other countries, the cattle are kept in feedlots and fed grains, rather than grass. This results in a much less healthy meat with more saturated fat and fewer healthy fats.’
The Department of Health recommends consuming no more than 70g of red meat a day.
I also suggest a looksee at this very informative video by Nora Gedgaudas author of “Primal Body, Primal Mind“, regarding nutrition and mental health.
Primal Mind: Nutrition and Mental Health by Nora Gedgaudas
3 Comments
I was raw vegan for a couple years and at the same time attempted to swim masters through the first winter of the diet, after being raw vegan since the previous spring. Within a month of rigorous swimming, I started craving red meat! I could just taste it on my tongue and it was all I could think about! So I drove miles away to a bison rancher who sells only pastured meats. I ate the bison meat raw, and it tasted so good. But the most incredible thing was that my energy jumped off the charts for a few days.
A couple years later I was still on the raw vegan-ish diet. Then in December of that year, I felt low, blue, needy, depressed, forlorn, and cold for several weeks and wondered why. And I remembered how the raw bison had revived me in the past. I obtained some pastured bison, made tartar out of it, and ate it with relish; it was so freaking delish. Within 12 hours the blues lifted as if they never existed. Lesson learned.
Even now, having being on the GAPS diet for 2 1/2 years to heal my gut (raw veganism did not heal it even though it greatly minimized starches and processed sugars), I have eaten lots of pastured meats, but not bison so much. Then I ate bison again (this time cooked) after a long break from it. Sure enough, there was that surge of energy! It is potent medicine for me! It is worth the long drive to obtain it.
Also, the bison rancher, Phil at Rocky Plains in Dacono, Colorado, told me that my color got better and better the more I kept coming back to buy more. It is a native food to the Great Plains of North America. We are blessed to have ranchers like Phil to help us restore our health and keep us nourished. I certainly get how the bison sustained the native peoples of the Great Plains.
Thank you so much for this Rhianna!. Have you heard of Denise Minger of http://www.rawfoodsos.com? Here blog was started due to her raw vegan journey. Come join our private FB group if you want to chat more until we get this forum up to speed. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1553441248218157/
Cheers,
Lana
Careful about saying “yuk” about red meat around these parts LOL. Me personally I crave red meat. I cannot always afford the red meat I want and I don’t EVER compromise so when I get my hands on it my body knows for sure!