Dorrie Philbeck posted:There has been a number of studies, below are a couple:
Vegetarian diets are associated with healthy mood states
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2887769/
Diet and depression
https://www.health.harvard.edu...ession-2018022213309
From the Diet and Depression article:
“A dietary pattern characterized by a high intake of fruit, vegetables, whole grain, fish, olive oil, low-fat dairy and antioxidants and low intakes of animal foods was apparently associated with a decreased risk of depression. A dietary pattern characterized by a high consumption of red and/or processed meat, refined grains, sweets, high-fat dairy products, butter, potatoes and high-fat gravy, and low intakes of fruits and vegetables is associated with an increased risk of depression.”
Unfortunately, in selecting diets the mindset tends to be all or nothing rather than moderation. If the first article, vegetarians ate lower levels of omega-3 fats (omega-3 fats help reduce a multitude of inflammatory responses in the body). The second article associates a high f/v diet with a decrease risk of depression but includes some fish and meat as part of the diet.