373. Conflicting data on vegetarian diet and depression
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
A new study shows that vegetarian diets might lead to more cases of depression compared to diets featuring meat. In the study, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, Brazilian researchers surveyed over 14,000 adults. They observed that those who didn’t eat meat were twice as likely to have a depressive episode compared to meat eaters. The results follow a 2018 study in France which found that vegetarians who didn’t eat legumes, like beans, peas, or lentils, were more likely to experience symptoms associated with mental disorders like depression. I believe that more factors than just whether or not you eat meat are involved in the risk for depression. For example, if you eat a lot of processed foods and sugar, you have a higher risk for numerous health problems, meat or no meat.
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
