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Lifestyle-related characteristic of young low-meat consumers and omnivores in Sweden and Norway
Abstract
To compare the lifestyle-related characteristics of low-meat consumer and omnivore adolescents in Sweden and Norway.
A total of 2041 students (578 from Umeå, Sweden; 504 from Stockholm, Sweden; and 959 from Bergen, Norway), with a mean age of 15.5 years, completed a questionnaire. Information was collected about physical characteristics, and health, family situation, social, exercise, alcohol, and tobacco habits. The response rate was 95% in Umeå, 91% in Stockholm, and 83% in Bergen. Statistical analyses included Chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests.
There was no reported difference between low-meat consumers and omnivores with respect to alcohol use, smoking, weight, or amount of exercise. Female low-meat consumers more frequently used smokeless tobacco, reported having more sick days during the last year, attached less importance to "being healthy," and had been depressed more often than female omnivores. Male low-meat consumers reported, to a greater extent than male omnivores, having been tired without reason, having often had headaches and having been depressed. Female low-meat consumers had parents with a higher average level of education than did female omnivores and more often spent time with friends after school.
Vegetarianism or low-meat consumption is mainly a female phenomenon among adolescents in this study. The study indicates that the lifestyle of young low-meat consumers differs from the lifestyle found in previous studies of vegetarians with respect to the respondents' exercise habits, their perception of their own health, and their use of alcohol and tobacco. Contrary to findings from other studies, adherence to a low-meat diet may not correlate with other health promotion practices among adolescents in Sweden and Norway.
... This could be a possible reason why certain studies have found more health and mental issues in vegetarians than omnivorous. One case is a study done by Larsson et al. (2002) who discovered that female low-meat consumers had more sick days during the last year and had been depressed more often than female omnivores, while male low-meat consumers were more frequently than omnivorous man tired without reason or experiencing headaches and depression. Similarly, in a study conducted by Michalak, Zhang, and Jacobi (2012), vegetarians displayed elevated prevalence rates for depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and somatoform disorders. ...
... These results are surprising, given the fact that mental health issues are usually associated with being a vegetarian (e.g. Larsson et al., 2002;Michalak, Zhang, & Jacobi, 2012). An explanation could be that mentally ill individuals already fight a difficult battle to control their healtha battle sometimes they loseand this makes them see any other change about health, in this case adopting a vegetarian diet, as a huge hurdle. ...
... Similarly, the inability to control one's physical health, along with the controversial nature of physical health benefits of a vegetarian diet (e.g. Larsson, 2002;Li, 2011) might contribute to these results. ...
Vegetarianism-still a controversial topic in scientific papers-is described either as a healthy choice, or as a risky one. This study aimed to examine potential predictors of perceived benefits and barriers to the consumption of a vegetarian diet. The participants (N=209, Mage = 34.6) filled out several questionnaires measuring eating disorders, physical health, mental health, locus of control, and perceived benefits and barriers to the consumption of a vegetarian diet. Results of the prediction analysis revealed that eating disorders were a significant predictor (p < .05) for both perceived benefits and barriers of consuming a vegetarian diet. Internal locus of control seems to play a major part (p < .05) when considering the benefits of consuming a vegetarian diet whereas the external locus of control impacts perceived barriers of consuming a vegetarian diet. Physical and mental health played a significant role (p < .05) only when considering barriers to the consumption of a vegetarian diet. Future studies should be conducted to verify these findings. Cuvinte-cheie: vegetarianism, sănătate, beneficii, bariere, locul controlului.
... The finding that women are associated with lower lamb meat consumption is recurrent [14,32,33], but CATPCA ( Figure 4) indicated that gender has less influence than age, income, and schooling on behaviors presented by these individuals. ...
... Regarding gender, men eat more lamb meat and generally decides what to buy at the time of purchase, while women are more used to using shopping list. The finding that women are associated with lower lamb meat consumption is recurrent [14,32,33], but CATPCA ( Figure 4) indicated that gender has less influence than age, income, and schooling on behaviors presented by these individuals. Thus, it was confirmed that research question Q4 was accepted. ...
In Brazil, the sheep market, including lamb meat consumption, is regionalized, and the consumption of lamb meat is higher in production areas; yet, consumption of lamb still remains below that of other meat livestock. The aim of this study was to identify the profile of Brazilian lamb meat consumers in order to understand their behavior in relation to food in general and on the consumption of this species. Therefore, a survey on consumer habits and preferences regarding food buying and consumption habits, their preferences in relation to the quality attributes of lamb meat, and sociodemographic characterization was performed. Data collected were analyzed by nonlinear canonic relationship analysis and categorical principal component analysis, followed by multiple factor analysis. Three consumer profiles were identified: traditional, interested, and disinterested, and a fourth group was considered independent but could not be described. Among lamb meat consumers, men with higher income seemed to be more frequent consumers than the others, and the intrinsic characteristics of meat quality, especially color and freshness, were the most important at the time of purchase. Thus, the results could be important to the industry in order to guide marketing strategies to certain niche markets.
... Compared to omnivores, vegetarians and semi-vegetarians (i.e., occasional consumption of fish or meat, usually no red meat) have been found to show higher rates of depression, anxiety, and general mental distress [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. Potential biological mechanisms assume depressive symptoms to result from The article is part of the Topical Collection on Orthorexia Nervosa. ...
... Our findings further confirmed previous results suggesting that semi-vegetarians show more pronounced depressive symptoms than vegetarians and omnivores [2,8,9]. However, depressive symptoms did not differ between vegetarians and omnivores, which does not confirm the majority of studies reporting better mental health in omnivores compared to vegetarians [1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9]. This finding instead emphasizes an equivocality in the literature, with some studies reporting better mental health in vegetarians compared to omnivores [10,31,32]. ...
PurposeVegetarianism and semi-vegetarianism (i.e., overly vegetarian diet with rare consumption of meat) have been repeatedly linked with depression. As the nature of this association is unclear, we explored whether orthorexic (i.e., pathologically healthful eating) tendencies and ecological/ethical motives to follow a vegetarian diet may moderate the relationship between (semi-)vegetarian diets and depressive symptoms.Methods
Five-hundred eleven adults (63.4% females; 71.2% omnivores, 19.2% semi-vegetarians, 9.6% vegetarians) completed the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) questionnaire—measuring depressive symptoms—and the Düsseldorf Orthorexia Scale (DOS)—measuring orthorexic tendencies. Based on respective questions, participants were categorized as omnivores, semi-vegetarians, and vegetarians (including vegans) and were asked to indicate whether they chose their diet based on ecological/ethical motives. Moderation analyses were carried out with PROCESS.ResultsAdjusted for age, sex, and body mass index, there was a statistically significant interaction effect between diet (omnivore vs. semi-vegetarianism vs. vegetarianism) and DOS scores when predicting PHQ depression scores. At low or medium DOS scores, diets did not differ in PHQ depression scores (all ps > 0.05). At high DOS scores, however, semi-vegetarians had higher PHQ depression scores than both omnivores (p = 0.002) and vegetarians (p < 0.001). The interaction between diet and ecological/ethical eating motives when predicting PHQ depression scores was not statistically significant (p = 0.41).Conclusion
Semi-vegetarians with strong orthorexic tendencies show more depressive symptoms than omnivores and vegetarians. The complex nature of the relationship between vegetarianism and depression requires further investigation.Level of evidenceIII, case-control analytic studies.
... In a recent cross-sectional study conducted on a large sample of men from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, vegetarian men had more depressive symptoms after adjustment for several possible confounding factors such as family history of depression, education level, age, ethnic origins and alcohol and tobacco consumption [3]. In another cross-sectional study among Norwegian and Swedish students (mean age 15 years), individuals who consumed less meat were more likely to be depressed after adjustment for physical characteristics, health, family situation, social status, exercise and alcohol and tobacco consumption [4]. Moreover, in Germany, depressive disorders, anxiety disorders and somatoform disorders were more common among vegan adults after adjustment for socio-demographic characteristics with cross-sectional data [5]. ...
... In addition, a field-pilot study that was performed in 2010 in seven HSCs, which included about 3500 subjects, showed a good validity of our collected data [5]. Our study confirms and extends previous results showing a cross-sectional association between depression and vegetarian diets [3,4,14] while further taking into consideration other possible confounders. For instance, to our knowledge, the present study was the first to consider the role of several chronic diseases and to include a measure of haemoglobin to assess anaemia as a potential mediator. ...
The association between depressive symptoms and vegetarian diets is controversial. This study examines the cross-sectional association between depressive symptoms and vegetarian diets while controlling for potential confounders. Among 90,380 subjects from the population-based Constances cohort, depressive symptoms were defined by a score ≥19 on the Centre of Epidemiologic Studies-Depression (CES-D) scale and diet types (omnivorous, pesco-vegetarian, lacto-ovo-vegetarian and vegan) were determined with a food frequency questionnaire. Associations between depressive symptoms and diet were estimated through logistic regressions adjusting for socio-demographics, other foods, alcohol and tobacco consumption, physical activity and health-related concerns; specificity analyses considered the exclusion of any other food group. Depressive symptoms were associated with pesco-vegetarian and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets in multivariable analyses (Odds-Ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.43 [1.19–1.72] and 1.36 [1.09–1.70], respectively), especially in case of low legumes intake (p for interaction < 0.0001), as well as with the exclusion of any food group (e.g., 1.37 [1.24–1.52], 1.40 [1.31–1.50], 1.71 [1.49–1.97] for meat, fish and vegetables exclusion, respectively). Regardless of food type, the Odds-Ratio of depressive symptoms gradually increased with the number of excluded food groups (p for trend < 0.0001). Depressive symptoms are associated with the exclusion of any food group from the diet, including but not restricted to animal products.
... These characteristics may differ between individuals that are habitually consuming omnivore and vegetarian diets, respectively. They may be difficult to statistically adjust for and thus confound associations between diet and health in observational studies, and this may explain why results of the health effects of different diets are conflicting [4][5][6]. Here, diet interventions are important. 1 Samples from individuals lacking a full sample set (samples from all breakfast meals) were used for prediction, described in Section 2.6. ...
... Hence, 174 samples were further processed. 1 H NMR spectra were aligned using icoshift [4] and manual integration of peaks was performed to a defined baseline on all spectra in parallel while using an in-house Matlab software application. In total, 196 variables were integrated within chemical shift range of 0.860-8.447 ...
Metabolomics provide an unbiased tool for exploring the modulation of the human metabolome in response to food intake. This study applied metabolomics to capture the postprandial metabolic response to breakfast meals corresponding to vegan (VE), lacto ovo-vegetarian (LOV), and omnivore (OM) diets. In a cross over design 32 healthy volunteers (16 men and 16 females) consumed breakfast meals in a randomized order during three consecutive days. Fasting and 3 h postprandial serum samples were collected and then subjected to metabolite profiling using 1H-nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Changes in concentration of identified and discriminating metabolites, between fasting and postprandial state, were compared across meals. Betaine, choline, and creatine displayed higher concentration in the OM breakfast, while 3-hydroxyisobutyrate, carnitine, proline, and tyrosine showed an increase for the LOV and unidentified free fatty acids displayed a higher concentration after the VE breakfast. Using 1H NMR metabolomics it was possible to detect and distinguish the metabolic response of three different breakfast meals corresponding to vegan, lacto-ovo vegetarian, and omnivore diets in serum.
... and tobacco consumption Hibbeln et al,. (2018). Similarly, in another cross-sectional study of 15year-old Norwegian and Swedish students, those who ate less meat had a higher risk of depression, even after controlling for physical characteristics, health status, family situation, social status, exercise habits, and alcohol and tobacco consumption Larsson et al,. (2002). Furthermore, a cross-sectional study in Germany found that vegan adults had a greater prevalence of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and somatoform disorders, even after controlling for socio-demographic factors Goldberg et al,. (2016). ...
A B S T R A K This study examines the determinants that impact consumer decision-making in relation to vegetarian diets in several regions of South Korean provinces. The study investigates the relationship between vegetarianism (dependent variable) and many explanatory variables, including ethical-animal welfare, health, environment, social issues, mood-emotion, and religious beliefs. Logistic regression analysis was conducted using Likert scale data collected from 264 respondents. The findings indicate that health, ethical considerations regarding animal welfare, and environmental concerns are important factors that influence the choice to adopt a vegetarian diet. It suggests that overseas students in Korea are increasingly conscious of and interested in health, ethical, and sustainable dietary options. Furthermore, the selection of a vegetarian diet is significantly influenced by health considerations, suggesting that persons who prioritise their well-being are more likely to adopt a vegetarian lifestyle. Religious views, emotion, and gender exert different levels of effect on the choice to adopt a vegetarian diet. The results of this study have consequences for how consumers behave, as well as for marketing managers and decision-makers. Businesses in the food business, especially, can gain advantages by catering to the demands and preferences of consumers who prioritise ethical and animal welfare principles, as well as those who value health and environmental sustainability. Implementing and promoting vegetarian and vegan choices in nearby eateries can efficiently appeal to and cater to this particular target audience. This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license.
... A cross-sectional study involving a large sample of men from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children discovered that vegetarian men had a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms even after controlling for potential confounding factors like family history of depression, education level, age, ethnic origins, and alcohol and tobacco consumption [52]. Similarly, in another cross-sectional study of 15-year-old Norwegian and Swedish students, those who ate less meat had a higher risk of depression, even after controlling for physical characteristics, health status, family situation, social status, exercise habits, and alcohol and tobacco consumption [53]. Furthermore, a cross-sectional study in Germany found that vegan adults had a greater prevalence of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, and somatoform disorders, even after controlling for socio-demographic factors [54]. ...
This study explores the elements that influence consumer vegetarian diet choices in parts of South Korean provinces. The study examines these explanatory variables: ethical-animal-welfare, health, environment, social issues , mood-emotion, and religious-beliefs with vegetarianism serving as the dependent variable. The Likert scale data from 264 respondents were analyzed using logistic regression analysis. Results show that health, ethical-animal-welfare ideals as well as environmental concerns emerge as significant variables influencing the decision to embrace a vegetarian diet. This shows that consumers (international students) in Korea are becoming more aware of and concerned about health, ethical and sustainable dietary choices. Secondly, health plays a crucial role in the vegetarian diet selection, indicating that health-conscious people are more inclined to choose a vegetarian lifestyle. Religious belief and mood have various degrees of influence on the vegetarian diet decision. The findings of this study have consequences for consumer behavior, marketing managers, and decision-makers. Businesses in the food industry, in particular, can gain from catering to the needs and tastes of consumers that prioritize ethical-animal welfare ideals, as well as those that value health and environmental sustainability. Creating and advertising vegetarian and vegan choices in local restaurants can effectively attract and serve this specific target demographic.
... In contrast, an omnivore diet typically includes more ultra-processed and refined foods such as cake, pastries, and chocolate [72]. When exceeding recommended amounts, sugar, sodium, and fat levels are associated with a low-quality diet and are considerably higher in self-nominated omnivore foods [73]. Conversely, a more recent study showed that both vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns of a low-quality diet were associated with high levels of depression compared to a high-quality vegan or vegetarian diet [42]. ...
Dietary patterns rich in plant foods are associated with a lower risk of depression. Yet vegetarians face a higher susceptibility to depressive symptoms Existing literature may overlook the role of eating behaviors in a socially oriented context. This study surveying 319 lifelong vegans (51%) or vegetarians (49%) explored diet quality, social connectedness and depressive symptoms. Hierarchical linear regression revealed an inverse association between diet quality and depressive symptoms (β = -.23; 95%CI: -.30, -.10), no longer significant after controlling for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors. Within-group analyses showed differences between low and high diet quality and depressive symptoms. Mediation analysis suggested social connectedness mediated the diet quality-depressive symptoms relationship (c’ = -.10, p < .001). Results imply that lifetime adherence to a plant-based diet may be positively associated with social interactions, fostering stronger connections with others that, in turn, play a role in buffering the experience of depressive symptoms.
... Так, C. L. Larsson та співавт. [5] продемонстрували, що підлітки-вегани більш схильні до розвитку депресії, аніж їх однолітки, які є всеїдними , тобто прихильниками традиційного варіанту харчування. Подібні результати були отримані в дослідженні С. L. Perry та співавт. ...
Purpose: to study the influence of the psycho-emotional state of vegetarians with a help of scales of depression, to establish a correlation of changes in the type of depression with the concentration of serum vitamin B12. 5 groups of people were analyzed: vegetarians (42 persons), vegans (61 persons), semi-vegetarians (14 people), lactovestarians (12 people), adherents of the traditional nutrition model (54 people). They filled out QIDS questionnaires and Beck depression inventory. All groups were compared with omnivores. During the second phase of the study, two groups were selected: vegans (15 people) and omnivores (15 people). In these groups, the concentration of vitamin B12 in serum was measured and the effect of reduced concentration of vitamin B12 on the development of depression was studied. The frequency of depression among the groups was studied, which is: vegetarians – 43 %, vegans – 30 %, semi-vegetarians – 43 %, lactovegetarians – 33 % and omnivores – 47 %. There were no statistically significant differences in the frequency and severity of depression among the subjects. In the vegan group, a significantly higher number of subjects with vitamin B12 deficiency was identified in comparison with omnivores (P = 0.015). The level of vitamin B12 in the blood does not affect the presence of depression in groups of vegans and omnivores (χ2 = 0.045; P = 0.833 for QIDS).
... In contrast, an omnivore diet typically includes more ultra-processed and refined foods such as cake, pastries, and chocolate [72]. When exceeding recommended amounts, sugar, sodium, and fat levels are associated with a low-quality diet and are considerably higher in self-nominated omnivore foods [73]. Conversely, a more recent study showed that both vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns of a low-quality diet were associated with high levels of depression compared to a high-quality vegan or vegetarian diet [42]. ...
Dietary patterns and depressive symptoms are associated in cross-sectional and prospective-designed research. However, limited research has considered depression risk related to meat-based and plant-based dietary patterns. This study explores the association between diet quality and depressive symptoms across omnivore, vegan, and vegetarian dietary patterns. A cross-sectional online survey utilised the Dietary Screening Tool (DST) and the Centre for Epidemiological Studies of Depression Scale (CESD-20) to measure diet quality and depressive symptoms, respectively. A total of 496 participants identified as either omnivores (n = 129), vegetarians (n = 151), or vegans (n = 216). ANOVA with Bonferroni post hoc corrections indicates that dietary quality was significantly different between groups F(2, 493) = 23.61, p < 0.001 for omnivores and vegetarians and omnivores and vegans. Diet quality was highest in the vegan sample, followed by vegetarian and omnivore patterns. The results show a significant, moderately negative relationship between higher diet quality and lower depressive symptoms (r = −0.385, p < 0.001) across groups. Hierarchical regression showed that diet quality accounted for 13% of the variability in depressive symptoms for the omnivore sample, 6% for vegetarians, and 8% for vegans. This study suggests that diet quality in a meat-based or plant-based diet could be a modifiable lifestyle factor with the potential to reduce the risk of depressive symptoms. The study indicates a greater protective role of a high-quality plant-based diet and lower depressive symptoms. Further intervention research is needed to understand the bi-directional relationship between diet quality and depressive symptoms across dietary patterns.
... In contrast, an omnivore diet typically includes more ultra-processed and refined foods such as cake, pastries, and chocolate [72]. When exceeding recommended amounts, sugar, sodium, and fat levels are associated with a low-quality diet and are considerably higher in self-nominated omnivore foods [73]. Conversely, a more recent study showed that both vegetarian and vegan dietary patterns of a low-quality diet were associated with high levels of depression compared to a high-quality vegan or vegetarian diet [42]. ...
Dietary patterns and depressive symptoms are associated in cross-sectional and prospective-designed research. However, limited research has considered depression risk related to meat-based and plant-based dietary patterns. This study explores the association between diet quality and depressive symptoms across omnivore, vegan, and vegetarian dietary patterns. A cross-sectional online survey utilised the Dietary Screening Tool (DST) and the Centre for Epidemiological Studies of Depression Scale (CESD-20) to measure diet quality and depressive symptoms. A total of 496 participants identified as either omnivores (n = 129), vegetarians (n = 151), or vegans (n = 216). ANOVA with Bonferonni post hoc corrections indicates that dietary quality was significantly different between groups F(2, 493) = 23.61, p <.001 in omnivores and vegetarians; and omnivores and vegans. Diet quality was highest in the vegan sample, followed by vegetarian and omnivore patterns. The results show a significant, moderate negative relationship between higher diet quality and lower depressive symptoms (r = -.385, p <.001) across groups. Hierarchical regression showed that diet quality accounted for 13% of the variability in depressive symptoms for the omnivore sample, 6% for vegetarians, and 8% for vegans. This study suggests that diet quality in a meat-based or plant-based diet could be a modifiable lifestyle factor with the potential to reduce the risk of depressive symptoms. The study indicates a greater protective role of a high-quality plant-based diet and lower depressive symptoms. Further intervention research is needed to understand the bi-directional relationship between diet quality and depressive symptoms across dietary patterns.
... This finding, however, is not unequivocal. Exploring the link between vegetarianism and weight concerns in a sample of Swedish and Norwegian adolescents, Larsson et al. (2002) found no significant difference in weight preoccupation between vegetarians and non-vegetarians. ...
... Second, while our search was clearly defined and comprehensive, our inclusion criteria excluded many publications that provided data on this topic (e.g., see (Anderson et al. 2019;Barthels, Meyer, and Pietrowsky 2018;Burkert et al. 2014;Cooper, Wise, and Mann 1985;Jacka et al. 2012;Larsson et al. 2002;Li et al. 2019;Northstone, Joinson, and Emmett 2018)). Specifically, these papers were excluded because they examined constructs other than depression or anxiety (e.g., orthorexia, restrained eating behavior) or assessed meat consumption as a continuous rather than dichotomous variable. ...
In this meta-analysis, we examined the quantitative relation between meat consumption or avoidance, depression, and anxiety. In June 2020, we searched five online databases for primary studies examining differences in depression and anxiety between meat abstainers and meat consumers that offered a clear (dichotomous) distinction between these groups. Twenty studies met the selection criteria representing 171,802 participants with 157,778 meat consumers and 13,259 meat abstainers. We calculated the magnitude of the effect between meat consumers and meat abstainers with bias correction (Hedges's g effect size) where higher and positive scores reflect better outcomes for meat consumers. Meat consumption was associated with lower depression (Hedges's g = 0.216, 95% CI [0.14 to 0.30], p < .001) and lower anxiety (g = 0.17, 95% CI [0.03 to 0.31], p = .02) compared to meat abstention. Compared to vegans, meat consumers experienced both lower depression (g = 0.26, 95% CI [0.01 to 0.51], p = .041) and anxiety (g = 0.15, 95% CI [-0.40 to 0.69], p = .598). Sex did not modify these relations. Study quality explained 58% and 76% of between-studies heterogeneity in depression and anxiety, respectively. The analysis also showed that the more rigorous the study, the more positive and consistent the relation between meat consumption and better mental health. The current body of evidence precludes causal and temporal inferences.
... Eating well can be a pleasure and a challenge that affects many aspects of well-being and quality of life. A Scandinavian study that compared teenage omnivores versus low-meat consumers found that symptoms of depression and anxiety were considerably worse among the latter [17]. This may have been related to the absence of meat or because the adolescents adhering to the low-meat diets did not also follow other typical lifestyle health choices. ...
Background:
The trend of flexitarian eating patterns is on the rise, with young adults among the biggest adopters claiming health and environmental reasons to reduce red meat intake. Nutrient-dense meat and animal products are often the lynchpin of these diets, even when consumed only occasionally and in moderate amounts. Red meat provides forms and concentrations of essential proteins, lipids, and micronutrients that are scarce in exclusively vegetarian regimens.
Objective:
The aim of this study is to consider the effects of moderate consumption of lean red meat as part of an otherwise vegetarian balanced diet and its impact on biomarkers of sustained health and well-being.
Methods:
A cohort of healthy, young (20-34 years old, n=80) male and female participants will take part in a 2-arm, parallel randomized controlled trial (RCT) for a duration of 12 weeks, with a 3-month posttrial follow-up. The trial will commence with a 2-week assessment period followed by allocation to the intervention arms. The intervention will include the consumption of red meat or meat alternatives 3 times per week for 10 weeks. Blood samples of the participants will be collected to measure changes in erythrocyte fatty acid distribution, circulating amino acids, neurotransmitters, markers of mineral status, and inflammatory markers. Questionnaires to assess well-being and mental health will be undertaken every 2 weeks. Body composition, physical function, and blood parameters will be assessed at allocation (t0), week 5 into the intervention (t5), and post intervention (t10).
Results:
The protocol has been developed using the SPIRIT (Standard Protocol Items: Recommendations for Interventional Trials) checklist and the outcomes will be reported in accordance with the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) guidelines. The trial was approved by the New Zealand Ministry of Health's Health and Disability Ethics Committees (protocol 20/STH/157). The results of this study will be communicated via publication.
Conclusions:
To our knowledge, this is the first RCT investigating the overarching health consequences of consuming pasture-fed red meat or no meat as part of a healthy diet.
Trial registration:
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04869163; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04869163.
International registered report identifier (irrid):
PRR1-10.2196/30909.
... Still a vegetarian diet is not necessarily connected with a healthier lifestyle. Larsson et al. [52,53] point out that in their sample vegetarians and omnivores did not differ in the intake of fruits, alcohol, ice cream, sweets and chocolate or fast food. ...
Previous studies have identified health, the environment and animal welfare as key motivations for becoming and remaining vegetarian/vegan. However, the idea of vegetarianism/veganism appears to have interesting facets that go beyond those drivers. This paper describes and examines this attraction. Twenty-six in depth interviews and two group discussions were conducted using the Morphological Psychology approach, which allows the revelation of conscious as well as unconscious drivers based on the detailed narrations of the interviewees. We conclude that the attractiveness of vegetarianism/veganism cannot only be explained by the classical and conscious motivations of a meatless or animal-free diet such as improving health and animal welfare. It also comprises less conscious or unconscious drivers of vegetarianism/veganism such as empowerment and enrichment, regaining autonomy and creating identity and superiority in addition to and partly through liberation from a meat production system which is perceived as destructive and threatening.
... While the replacement of meat products with vegetarian diets lowers the risk of cardiovascular issues, obesity, and diabetes, and is considered by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as nutritionally adequate when appropriately planned, and even potentially bene cial for health (4) , the bene ts to mental health remain widely discussed. Many studies have indicated that individuals with low meat consumption or a vegetarian diet are exposed to an increased risk of depression (5,6,7,8) . Such results have commonly been understood as the outcome of potential nutritional de cits in vitamin B12, long-chain n-3 fatty acids, folates, and/or zinc (9,10,11) . ...
Objective. Many studies indicate a link between vegetarianism and mental health, but the relationship remains uncertain. The aim of the present study is to examine the cross-sectional association between anxio-depressive symptomatology, happiness, and vegetarianism in a French sample while controlling for relevant confounders.
Design. Self-reported questionnaire data were obtained from a large cross-sectional sample.
Participants and setting. 9993 participants aged 18-99, 70.8% females participated in an online survey.
Results. A logistic regression analysis was performed to estimate the Odds Ratio (OR) and 95% Confidence Interval (95% CI) of anxiety, depression, happiness, and self-reported health to predict vegetarian diet, controlling for age, gender, BMI, educational level, monthly income, and city size. Vegetarians did not present an increased risk of anxiety or depression. However, they reported lower happiness than did non-vegetarians, and exhibited better self-reported health than did omnivores.
Conclusion. Vegetarian diet was not found to be related to anxiety or depressive symptoms. However, vegetarians presented lower levels of happiness. This result may be interpreted as a consequence of the social status of vegetarianism in France.
... Among 1046 Australian women, lower red meat consumption was linked to almost a doubling of risk for major depressive and anxiety disorders [77]. Among Norwegian students, nearly twice as many men and one third more women with low meat consumption have been reported to be depressed after adjustment [78]. Other studies found that diets restricting meat and poultry have no positive effects on mood as much as the diet containing meat, poultry, and fish [79]. ...
Purpose of Review The question whether food choice and eating behavior influence the mood or are influenced by the mood has
been inquisitive to scientists and researchers. The purpose of this review is to support or refuse the argument that mood is affected
by food or vice versa.
Recent Findings The association between food and mood has been comprehensively elucidated in this review based
on several studies that include participants from different ages, cultural backgrounds, and health status. The correlation among food, mood, and diseases such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, and depression was thoroughly investigated. The effect of different foods and nutrients on the mood was further explained. It is concluded that the mood
significantly affects food intake and food choices. On the other hand, food also influences the mood, which affects
the diseases either positively or negatively.
Summary Appropriate food choices play a significant role in mood enhancement. Advertisement is another crucial factor that
negatively affects food choices and mood and contributes to many diseases. Understanding the interaction between food and
mood can help to prevent or alleviate undesired health issues.
... Among 1046 Australian women, lower red meat consumption was linked to almost a doubling of risk for major depressive and anxiety disorders [77]. Among Norwegian students, nearly twice as many men and one third more women with low meat consumption have been reported to be depressed after adjustment [78]. Other studies found that diets restricting meat and poultry have no positive effects on mood as much as the diet containing meat, poultry, and fish [79]. ...
Purpose of review:
The question whether food choice and eating behavior influence the mood or are influenced by the mood has been inquisitive to scientists and researchers. The purpose of this review is to support or refuse the argument that mood is affected by food or vice versa.
Recent findings:
The association between food and mood has been comprehensively elucidated in this review based on several studies that include participants from different ages, cultural backgrounds, and health status. The correlation among food, mood, and diseases such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, and depression was thoroughly investigated. The effect of different foods and nutrients on the mood was further explained. It is concluded that the mood significantly affects food intake and food choices. On the other hand, food also influences the mood, which affects the diseases either positively or negatively. Appropriate food choices play a significant role in mood enhancement. Advertisement is another crucial factor that negatively affects food choices and mood and contributes to many diseases. Understanding the interaction between food and mood can help to prevent or alleviate undesired health issues.
... One explanation might be that, in the present study, we controlled for different socio-demographic variables like sex, age, and educational attainment in all analyses, and our findings showed that differences between vegetarians and meat eaters in SWB are mainly based on the effects of socio-demographic variables on SWB. While most prior studies that reported a negative relationship between eating vegetarian and SWB either examined only women (e.g., Baines et al., 2007;Lindeman, 2002) or controlled for participant sex (e.g., Nezlek et al., 2018), they did not control for other socio-demographic variables like age or educational level (Baş et al., 2005;Larsson et al., 2002) or both (Forestrell & Nezlek, 2018;Nezlek et al., 2018). While Agarwal et al. (2015) reported a positive effect of a plant-based diet on SWB, and controlled for gender, age, race, and occupation, they did not control for educational level. ...
Research on the relationship between vegetarianism and subjective well-being (SWB) has produced inconsistent results, which may partly be due to small sample sizes and divergent operationalizations of well-being. For these reasons, the present study aimed to thoroughly examine this association in two large representative samples from Germany (Study 1: N = 12,905, including 665 vegetarians) and Australia (Study 2: N = 15,532, including 383 vegetarians) using a consensual conceptualization of SWB (composed of an affective component, i.e., positive and negative affect, and a cognitive component, i.e., life satisfaction). Results of t-tests showed that vegetarians reported slightly higher scores in negative affect (Study 1 and 2), but also slightly higher levels of satisfaction with health (Study 1 and 2) and life satisfaction (Study 1) compared to meat eaters. No differences emerged regarding positive affect in either study. These differences between vegetarians and meat-eaters in some components of SWB, although significant due to the large sample sizes, are small at best (d around .15). Because sex, age, and education were associated with diet type and SWB, analyses controlling for socio-demographic variables were also conducted. In these ANCOVAS, the effect of diet emerged only for one out of the five formerly significant comparisons (negative affect in Study 1, d = .09) while the differences between vegetarians and meat eaters in both satisfaction with health and life, as well as the effect on negative affect in Study 2, all became non-significant (d around .05). Taken together, the very small effects found in the t-tests for some components of SWB seem to be due to socio-demographic variables, meaning that the true effects of diet on SWB are non-existent or negligible.
... Second, while our search was clearly defined and comprehensive, our criteria excluded a large number of papers that provided data on this topic [e.g., see (Anderson et al. 2019;Barthels, Meyer, and Pietrowsky 2018;Burkert et al. 2014a;Cooper, Wise, and Mann 1985;Jacka et al. 2012;Larsson et al. 2002;Li et al. 2019;Northstone, Joinson, and Emmett 2018)]. Nevertheless, we think that a highly focused review has the potential to provide stronger evidence and, as such is more informative to the medical, research, and lay communities. ...
Objective: To examine the relation between the consumption or avoidance of meat and psychological health and well-being.
Methods: A systematic search of online databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, Medline, and Cochrane Library) was conducted for primary research examining psychological health in meat-consumers and meat-abstainers. Inclusion criteria were the provision of a clear distinction between meat-consumers and meat-abstainers, and data on factors related to psychological health. Studies examining meat consumption as a continuous or multi-level variable were excluded. Summary data were compiled, and qualitative analyses of methodologic rigor were conducted. The main outcome was the disparity in the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and related conditions in meat-consumers versus meat-abstainers. Secondary outcomes included mood and self-harm behaviors.
Results: Eighteen studies met the inclusion/exclusion criteria; representing 160,257 participants (85,843 females and 73,232 males) with 149,559 meat-consumers and 8584 meat-abstainers (11 to 96 years) from multiple geographic regions. Analysis of methodologic rigor revealed that the studies ranged from low to severe risk of bias with high to very low confidence in results. Eleven of the 18 studies demonstrated that meat-abstention was associated with poorer psychological health, four studies were equivocal, and three showed that meat-abstainers had better outcomes. The most rigorous studies demonstrated that the prevalence or risk of depression and/or anxiety were significantly greater in participants who avoided meat consumption.
Conclusion: Studies examining the relation between the consumption or avoidance of meat and psychological health varied substantially in methodologic rigor, validity of interpretation, and confidence in results. The majority of studies, and especially the higher quality studies, showed that those who avoided meat consumption had significantly higher rates or risk of depression, anxiety, and/or self-harm behaviors. There was mixed evidence for temporal relations, but study designs and a lack of rigor precluded inferences of causal relations. Our study does not support meat avoidance as a strategy to benefit psychological health.
... Matta et al. [53] also found evidence that a vegetarian diet was associated with increased depressive symptoms on the CES-D in a large (n = 90380) cross-sectional study of French persons, but observed, in addition, that any dietary restrictions were associated with increased symptoms of depression, not merely restriction of the intake of meat, fish, eggs, or dairy. Larssen and colleagues [54] reported that among 2041 Swedish and Norwegian students, vegetarian diet was associated with increased self-reported frequency of depressive episodes in both males and females. Although the apparent associations between depression and vegetarian or vegan diets may be related to nutrient deficiencies, including deficiencies of creatine intake, it has also been suggested that the onset of mental disorders may precede the adoption of a vegetarian diet in some cases [55]. ...
Depressed mood, which can occur in the context of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and other conditions, represents a serious threat to public health and wellness. Conventional treatments are not effective for a significant proportion of patients and interventions that are often beneficial for treatment-refractory depression are not widely available. There is, therefore, an immense need to identify novel antidepressant strategies, particularly strategies that target physiological pathways that are distinct from those addressed by conventional treatments. There is growing evidence from human neuroimaging, genetics, epidemiology, and animal studies that disruptions in brain energy production, storage, and utilization are implicated in the development and maintenance of depression. Creatine, a widely available nutritional supplement, has the potential to improve these disruptions in some patients, and early clinical trials indicate that it may have efficacy as an antidepressant agent.
... The lack of difference in sociodemographic variables may be the consequence of the generalized high consumption of light lamb meat in the studied region. Therefore, the classic association between women and low consumption of red meat [69][70][71] is not evident for light lamb meat in our study. These results also were reported previously by Escriba-Perez, Baviera-Puig, Buitrago-Vera, and Montero-Vicente [68]. ...
Involvement can explain behavioral consequences, such as consumer decision-making and consumption. The first aim of this study is to identify the profiles of consumers based on their involvement in light lamb meat. The second aim is to study the influence of involvement on consumers’ attitudes, behaviors, beliefs, preferences, quality cues, and sensory perception regarding light lamb meat. Two consumer profiles are identified. The first cluster includes consumers who enjoyed eating light lamb meat, were conscious of their self-image, and perceived the consequences of poor choices; these consumers also perceived the probability of making an incorrect choice as high. The second cluster includes consumers who truly loved eating lamb meat, were also conscious of their self-image, and perceived the consequences of poor choices; however, these consumers were confident in not making incorrect choices. Although both involvement-based profiles showed high involvement in light lamb meat, it can be concluded that the second cluster had a higher involvement. In general, the involvement-based profiles did not influence health-related attitudes, preferences, or sensory perceptions of light lamb meat, while beliefs, behavior and quality cues were influenced by involvement.
... The low consumption of meat is generally a feminine phenomenon [20], and women have a greater number of food restrictions, especially regarding the consumption of red meat [21]. In fact, in a survey in Norway and Sweden, 72.5% of people who consumed little meat were women [22]. ...
The patterns of food consumption in general and those of meat, in particular, are constantly changing. These changes are due not only to socioeconomic and cultural trends that affect the whole society but also to the specific lifestyles of consumer groups. Due to the importance of consumer lifestyle, the objectives of this study were (i) to identify the profiles of lamb meat consumers according to their orientation toward convenience, as defined by their eating and cooking habits; (ii) to characterize these profiles according to their socioeconomic characteristics and their preferences regarding the intrinsic and extrinsic quality signals of lamb meat; and (iii) to analyze the willingness to pay for lamb confit. In this study, four types of consumers have been differentiated according to their lifestyles related to lamb consumption. These groups, due to their characteristics, could be called "Gourmet", "Disinterested", "Conservative", and "Basic". The Gourmet group has characteristics that make it especially interesting to market a product such as lamb confit. However, this group is unaware of this product. Therefore, a possible strategy to expand the commercialization of light lamb and the confit product would be guided marketing to this niche market.
... The low consumption of meat is generally a feminine phenomenon [20], and women 296 have a greater number of food restrictions, especially regarding the consumption of red meat [21]. In 297 fact, in a survey in Norway and Sweden, 72.5% of people who consumed little meat were women 298 [22]. ...
The patterns of food consumption in general and those of meat, in particular, are constantly changing. These changes are due not only to socio-economic and cultural trends that affect the whole society but also to the specific lifestyles of consumer groups. Due to the importance of consumer lifestyle, the objectives of this study were i) to identify the profiles of lamb meat consumers according to their orientation toward convenience, as defined by their eating and cooking habits; ii) to characterize these profiles according to their socio-economic characteristics and their preferences regarding the intrinsic and extrinsic quality signals of lamb meat; and iii) to analyze the willingness to pay for lamb confit. In this study, four types of consumers have been differentiated according to their lifestyles related to lamb consumption. These groups, due to their characteristics, could be called "Gourmet", "Disinterested", "Conservative" and "Basic". The Gourmet group has characteristics that make it especially interesting to market a product such as lamb confit; however, this group is unaware of this product. Therefore, a possible strategy to expand the commercialization of light lamb and the confit product would be guided marketing to this niche market.
... This gives some reason to believe that young vegetarians and vegans, who consume very little EPA or none at all, may be at increased risk for depression. In fact, there is empirical evidence linking vegetarianism (and low meat consumption) to depression and to contemplating and attempting suicide in adolescents (Larsson et al. 2002;Perry et al. 2001). ...
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ influential position statement on vegetarianism, meat and seafood can be replaced with milk, soy/legumes, and eggs without any negative effects in children. The United States Department of Agriculture endorses a similar view. The present paper argues that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics ignores or gives short shrift to direct and indirect evidence that vegetarianism may be associated with serious risks for brain and body development in fetuses and children. Regular supplementation with iron, zinc, and B12 will not mitigate all of these risks. Consequently, we cannot say decisively that vegetarianism or veganism is safe for children.
... Among 1046 Australian women, lower red meat consumption was associated with nearly a doubling of risk for major depressive and anxiety disorders (Jacka et al., 2012). Among Norwegian students, nearly twice as many men and one third more women with low meat consumption reported having been depressed, after adjustment (Larsson et al., 2002). In a representative sample, depression was more common among completely and predominantly vegetarian German adults, but adoption of vegetarian diets followed the onset of mental illnesses (Michalak et al., 2012). ...
Background:
Vegetarian diets are associate with cardiovascular and other health benefits, but little is known about mental health benefits or risks.
Aims:
To determine whether self-identification of vegetarian dietary habits is associated with significant depressive symptoms in men.
Method:
Self-report data from 9668 adult male partners of pregnant women in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) included identification as vegetarian or vegan, dietary frequency data and the Edinburgh Post Natal Depression Scale (EPDS). Continuous and binary outcomes were assessed using multiple linear and logistic regression taking account of potential confounding variables including: age, marital status, employment status, housing tenure, number of children in the household, religion, family history of depression previous childhood psychiatric contact, cigarette and alcohol consumption.
Results:
Vegetarians [n = 350 (3.6% of sample)], had higher depression scores on average than non-vegetarians (mean difference 0.96 points [95%CI + 0.53, + 1.40]) and a greater risk for EPDS scores above 10 (adjusted OR = 1.67 [95% CI: 1.14,2.44]) than non-vegetarians after adjustment for potential confounding factors.
Conclusions:
Vegetarian men have more depressive symptoms after adjustment for socio-demographic factors. Nutritional deficiencies (e.g. in cobalamin or iron) are a possible explanation for these findings, however reverse causation cannot be ruled out.
... [9][10][11] ). Moreover, there are published studies from Australia [12] and Scandinavia [13] reporting that vegetarians and/or low meat consumers have poorer mental health than those who habitually eat meat, although the direction of the relationship between vegetarian status and mental health is unclear. ...
... Papers (1)(2)(3)(4)(5) in this thesis provide information which indicates that the new generation of vegetarians has different dietary and lifestyle habits to those shown by previous studies of vegetarians. For vegetarian adolescents, especially vegans, it is essential to be well motivated, to take an active interest in the new dietary regimen and to appreciate that becoming vegetarian is not simply a matter of excluding certain food items. ...
... 40 However, a number of other studies report vegetarians are more likely to be depressed and have mental health issues although there appears to be little causal connection between vegetarian dietary pattern and depression. [41][42][43][44][45][46] The type and amount of dietary carbohydrate may affect depression according to the results of the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study. 47 Among, approximately, 70,000 women participating in this study, a higher dietary glycemic index was associated with increasing odds of incident depression. ...
Objective:
The aim of the study was to determine whether isoflavones affect depressive symptoms in women.
Methods:
Literature searches were conducted to identify clinical and epidemiologic studies that evaluated the impact of soy intake and isoflavone exposure on depressive symptoms. References from identified studies were also evaluated to identify eligible studies.
Results:
Only limited epidemiologic research has evaluated the impact of soy or isoflavone intake on depression although several studies from China and Japan did find soy product intake was inversely related to risk of depression. Often times, soy was, however, evaluated only as a component of a summative dietary pattern (eg, a "Japanese" or "Healthy" diet). Of the 20 intervention studies identified, roughly half found statistically significant reductions in depressive symptoms in response to isoflavones although several had design weakness. Of those studies reporting a lack of antidepressant effects of isoflavones, design limitations likely contributed to the lack of efficacy. In all but two trials, assessment of depression was, however, a secondary outcome. It is notable that both trials in which depression was a primary outcome found isoflavones significantly improved symptoms.
Conclusions:
Although the data are inconsistent and limited, the clinical and epidemiologic evidence suggests that isoflavones may offer a safe, well-tolerated option for management of depression. Furthermore, the intervention doses used in the clinical studies fall well within the dietary range. The extant literature reveals key design features for future studies, which based upon the results of this review, are clearly warranted.
... It is a symbolic and expressive means to link one's everyday food choice with particular beliefs, values, or lifestyles. For example, vegetarians are more likely to pay attention to the factors that affect their health than are nonvegetarians (Larsson et al. 2002). Because a vegetarian diet represents a rejection of certain aspects of conventional hierarchy of foods, which has red meat at its pinnacle (Kwan and Neal 2005;Twigg 1979), this dietary practice is directly or indirectly related to a myriad of counter-hegemonic ideologies, including universalism, ecological welfare, and naturalism (Allen et al. 2000;Lindeman and Sirelius 2001). ...
This essay is a social psychological analysis of the meaning of and social pressures against vegetarianism in a highly collective cultural context. It postulates potential difficulties in social relationships as the real challenge in becoming a vegetarian in Korea. The research is based on data collected from participant observations and in-depth interviews conducted with 38 vegetarians in the Seoul metropolitan area in 2010 2011. Given the social importance placed on ordering and sharing similar meals together in order to foster intimate relationships and emotional bonds in Korea, vegetarianism can be considered deviant social behavior discordant with the nonvegetarian norm. In highly collective Korean society, it is regarded as a bad practice that disturbs harmony within the group, and vegetarians/vegans, especially those who are younger and occupy lower social positions, face enormous social pressures to yield to a conventional omnivorous diet, especially on occasions, such as a family gathering and a company dinner. While some people fail to maintain their vegetarian diet, many vegetarians/vegans try to cope with such social pressures by using various bargaining strategies, such as avoiding meal time, hiding their identity, giving an excuse, and doing routine chores for everyone else at the dinner table.
... In this study, we used an exclusively male population; a report showed that men typically consume more processed foods and meat but less vegetables than do women [38,49]. Depressive mood and aggression are also related to amino acid metabolism, and dietary tryptophan depletion has been shown to increase aggression in healthy men, likely by decreasing brain serotonin [50,51]. ...
Hydrothion (H2S) and ammonia (NH3) can be toxic for the human central nervous system and cause psychological disturbances and behavioral disorders. In order to evaluate the association between the two potential toxicants and mental health, in this study, we compare a male prisoner and control population. Forty-nine male prisoners and 52 control volunteers took part in the study. An aggressive behavior assessment, the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to characterize the participants' mental health status. Venous blood was collected for detection of H2S and NH3. The results indicated that blood NH3 was significantly higher in male prisoners than in controls. However, blood H2S was significantly lower. Blood NH3 was also significantly and positively correlated with prisoners. In the multivariate adjusted models, after controlling for age, education, marital status, and BMI, we found a positive association between NH3 and prisoners, but not blood H2S. While the functions of the two toxicants were quite different, blood NH3 may be a potential biological risk factor for behavioral disorders and blood H2S showed neuroprotection. Additionally, the impact of other factors such as diet and gut bacteria should be considered when evaluating risk for behavioral disorders.
... Många unga vuxna gör idag försök att aktivt välja hälsosamma vanor (Bisogni, et al., 2012). Det kan handla om att äta vegetariskt (Hoek, Luningb, Stafleuc, & Graaf, 2004), vara fysiskt aktiv (Pauline, 2013), undvika alkohol (Larsson, Klock, Nordrehaug Åström, Haugejorden, & Johansson, 2002) samt att vårda sina relationer (Karvonen, West, Sweeting, Rahkonen, & Young, 2001). De är i en period i livet som tenderar att öppna upp mot nya möjligheter (Masten & Wright, 2010) men som också kan vara problematisk. ...
In English: Taking departure in eco-psychology and a life-world phenomenological perspective, young people´s choice of organic food can be described as a nature-based self-therapeutic intervention used to improve mental health. The aim of the study is to investigate how young people actively use the relationship between body and food to increase wellbeing and to handle existential problems and their anxiety about the future. The three studies are to contribute to an understanding of how young adults use their relationship to organic food in daily life as part of a strategy for mental health. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with a strategic selection of 30 young adults between the ages of 18 and 35, about their interest in organic food. The descriptive phenomenological psychological research method guided the analysis, complemented with a phenomenological narrative method. In sub study I the phenomenon “young adults’ relations to organic food” was investigated on a general level showing how this relationship with organic food is a multidimensional phenomenon with four constituents: 1) the lived body as a starting point for an exploration of life, 2) a narrative self through emotional-relational food memories, 3) a conscious life strategy for well-being and vitality, and 4) a personal set of values in relation to ethical norms. Sub study II investigated variations in forms of expression in constituents one and three, and describes how young adults used food as a self-therapeutic intervention by using their bodies and minds in relation to food as a tool by: 1) listening to their body; 2) moderating their body’s condition and feelings; 3) finding bodily vitality and resilience; 4) creating a space for stillness and meditation and 5) cooperating in a creative process. Sub study III describes how the relationship to food develop through memories connecting food with specific people, events and contexts, with three life narratives illustrating how this relation can evolve during the period as a young adult: 1) positive emotional food memories can be associated with using food as an emotional anchor. 2) Negative emotional food memories can be connected with: a) a preoccupation with food, which means that the individual exchanges or compensates for interpersonal relations, b) an avoidance of food, which is about memories associated with a controlled and evasive relation to food. The study also shows how the relationship to food during the young adult period can entail ”a second chance” to develop good food habits, but also how the strong focus on eating healthily can be problematic and can be problematic for the person.
Keywords: attachment, environmental psychology, health promotion, life-world, mindfulness, nature, positive psychology, psychotherapy, resilience, turning points
In Swedish: Med utgångspunkt i eko-psykologin och ett livsvärldsfenomologiskt perspektiv beskrivs unga vuxnas val av ekologisk mat som en naturbaserad form av självterapeutisk intervention för att förbättra psykisk hälsa. Syftet med undersökningen var att försöka förstå hur unga vuxna aktivt använder relationen mellan kropp och mat i vardagen som del av en strategi för att uppnå välbefinnande och bättre hantera existentiella problem och ängslan inför framtiden. Med ett strategiskt urval av 30 unga vuxna i åldrarna 18-35 år gjordes semi-strukturerade intervjuer kring deras intresse för ekologisk mat. Analysen utgick från den deskriptiva fenomenologiska psykologiska forskningsmetoden och kompletterades med en fenomenologisk narrativ metod. I delstudie I undersöktes fenomenet ”unga vuxnas relation till ekologisk mat” på en generell nivå som visade hur relationen till ekologisk mat är ett mångdimensionellt fenomen med fyra konstituenter: 1) Den levda kroppen som utgångspunkt för utforskandet av livet, 2) Ett berättat själv genom emotionella-relationella matminnen, 3) En medveten livsstrategi för välbefinnande och vitalitet, och 4) En personlig uppsättning värderingar i förhållande till etiska normer. Delstudie II undersökte variationen av uttrycksformer i konstituenterna ett och tre, och beskriver hur de unga vuxna använder mat som självterapeutisk intervention via sin kropp och sina sinnen i relation till maten som verktyg genom att: 1) Lyssna på kroppen, 2) Moderera kroppstillstånd och känslor, 3) Finna kroppslig vitalitet och resiliens, 4) Skapa ett utrymme för stillhet och meditation och 5) Medverka i en kreativ process. Delstudie III beskriver hur relationen till mat utvecklas genom att matminnen knyts till olika personer, händelser och sammanhang, med tre livsberättelser som illustrerar hur denna relation kan utvecklas under perioden som ung vuxen: 1) Positiva emotionella matminnen kan vara förknippade med att använda mat som ett känslomässigt ankare. 2) Negativa emotionella matminnen kan vara förknippade med: a) en upptagenhet av mat, som innebär att individen byter ut eller kompenserar mellanmänskliga relationer, b) ett undvikande av mat, som handlar om minnen förknippade med en kontrollerad och undflyende relation till mat. Undersökningen visar också hur relationen till mat under ung vuxenperioden kan innebära en ”andra chans” att utveckla bra matvanor, men också hur deras starka fokus på att äta hälsosamt kan vara förenad med en personlig problematik.
Nyckelord: anknytning, hälsopromotion, livsvärlden, medveten närvaro, miljöpsykologi, positiv psykologi, psykoterapi, natur, resiliens, vändpunkter
... This finding, however, is not unequivocal. Exploring the link between vegetarianism and weight concerns in a sample of Swedish and Norwegian adolescents, Larsson et al. (2002) found no significant difference in weight preoccupation between vegetarians and non-vegetarians. ...
The vegetarian diet is becoming increasingly popular among the general population and has been accompanied by an increasing number of publications in the last twenty years. However, the spread of selective diets raises some questions, especially with regard to health. This review examines studies on vegetarianism published between 2000 and 2022 that investigated the associations between this diet, weight, and eating disorders. The descriptive studies conclude that vegetarians have a lower body mass index, and the interventional studies show the value of a vegetarian diet for weight loss. While some studies suggest that vegetarianism may be associated with orthorexia nervosa, the results regarding the association between vegetarianism and eating disorders are more heterogeneous and depend on the type of samples and dimensions studied. The heterogeneity of these findings is discussed in light of the methodological limitations of the studies to provide perspectives for future research.
Background
Extensive observational evidence links diet quality to the risk for major depressive disorder (MDD), while clinical trials show that dietary improvement can improve depressive symptoms. However, due to issues with blinding dietary trials, confirming a causal relationship for diet's influence on MDD requires further research. Thus, we systemically investigated the bi-directional causal relationships between dietary habits and MDD by using two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR).
Methods
We collected publicly available genome-wide association studies' summary statistics for dietary habits from UK Biobank (n = 449,210) and MDD from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium (n = 142,646). We used a weighted median approach to synthesize MR estimates across genetic instruments. For the robustness of our results, we compared weighted median results with results from the inverse-variance weighted, the weighted mode, and MR-PRESSO.
Results
There was moderate evidence that beef intake has a protective effect on MDD. There was weak but detectable evidence that cereal intake has a protective effect on MDD, while non-oily fish intake might increase the risk of MDD. We did not observe any causal effect of MDD on dietary habits.
Limitations
Our study may suffer from the violation of assumptions of MR due to horizontal pleiotropy; therefore, we did several sensitivity analyses to detect and minimize the bias.
Conclusions
In this two-sample MR analysis, we observed that higher beef intake may be protective against MDD. However, MDD did not appear to affect dietary habits. Potential mechanisms need to be further investigated to support our novel findings.
El monohidrato de creatina es uno de los suplementos más estudiados en el mundo de la nutrición deportiva por su rol energético e hipertrófico en el músculo esquelético. En la actualidad, se puede estar subestimando el amplio espectro de beneficios terapéuticos que aporta a la salud en otra población que pueda requerir de sus ventajas, como el sector clínico, más allá de solo relacionarlo con la mejora en las adaptaciones al ejercicio físico. En esta revisión narrativa se tiene como objetivo abordar la interacción de la suplementación con creatina y la salud del cerebro humano, conforme a la investigación disponible que hasta la fecha se ha publicado en humanos; principalmente, los efectos de la ingesta regular en la función cognitiva, las enfermedades neurodegenerativas y los trastornos psiquiátricos. La evidencia científica apoya firmemente los beneficios de la suplementación con creatina en personas que presentan los llamados errores innatos del metabolismo, como el síndrome de deficiencia de creatina causado por alteraciones genéticas en GAMT y AGAT. Además, en la función cognitiva, la suplementación con creatina podría ofrecer mayores beneficios en sujetos estresados o adultos mayores. También brindaría un efecto adicional ante los trastornos relacionados con la depresión y los síntomas de depresión unipolar y bipolar, si se combina con la medicación antidepresiva. En estas cuestiones anteriormente mencionadas, la literatura se encuentra en cierta forma mejor dilucidada en comparación con los presuntos beneficios en enfermedades neurodegenerativas, como las enfermedades de Parkinson y Huntington, y por el momento menos respaldada en el caso de la enfermedad de Alzheimer. Se requiere una mayor cantidad de investigaciones realizadas a mayor escala y con mejores diseños de estudio en humanos, con el fin de elaborar mejores protocolos de suplementación en poblaciones que presentan distintas condiciones de salud. Palabras clave: creatina, cerebro, depresión, trastornos
The subject of this research is the modern scientific discourse on food culture, while the object is the foreign approaches towards the study of food culture. Research dedicated to food culture is a crucial part of modern scientific discourse. The goal of this article lies in determination of the key approaches towards the study of food culture. The majority of foreign researchers claim that the modern study of nutrition shifted towards examination of the communicative aspects of food consumption (identity, cultural symbolism, social activity, etc.). From year to year, food and its consumption are explored by mass media and non-specialists as a form of art, leisure, source of social status, as well as method to express social / global differences, which manifests in the growing number of “trendy” food practices, magazine and newspaper publications, video blogs, cooking shows, etc. The author’s special contribution consists in outlining the three main approaches towards the study of nutrition: natural scientific, anthropological, and sociological. The natural scientific approach is associated with the basic principle of vitality of nutrition for people, which at the present stage is turning into a cult of healthy eating. The anthropological approach is based on determination of the anthropic characteristics of nutrition and is ramified and multidisciplinary. A special place is assigned to culturological direction. The sociological approach is focused of revelation of the role of alimentary culture in strengthening of social ties, social differentiation and integration on the micro- and macro levels. However, due to broadening of the research field related to nutrition, such classification can be elaborated.
Plant-based dietary patterns (vegan and vegetarian) are often considered ‘healthy’ and have been associated with broad health benefits, including decreased risk of obesity and ill health (cardiovascular disease, blood glucose and type II diabetes). However, the association between plant-based diets and mood disorders such as depression remains largely equivocal. This cross-sectional study of 219 adults aged 18–44 (M=31.22, SD=7.40) explored the associations between an estimate of overall plant-based diet quality and depression in vegans (n=165) and vegetarians (n=54). Overall plant-based diet quality was associated with depressive symptoms in vegans and vegetarians F(1, 215)=13.71, p<0.001 accounting for 6% of the variation in depressive symptoms. For those without depression, higher diet quality was protective against depressive symptoms F(1, 125)=6.49, p=0.012. Conversely, for those with depression no association with diet quality was found F(1, 89)=0.01, p=0.963. These findings suggest that a high-quality plant-based diet may be protective against depressive symptoms in vegans and vegetarians. In line with emerging research between food and mental health, higher-quality dietary patterns are associated with a reduced risk of depressive symptoms. Given the rapidly increasing rate of vegan and vegetarian food products within Australia, understanding the potential mechanisms of effects through which a plant-based diet may influence depressive symptoms is required.
The present study examines a broad range of longitudinal predictors of dimensional positive mental health (PMH) and negative mental health (NMH), using data from the BOOM study. Participants were drawn from university student samples in Germany (1,608), Russia (677) and China (12,057). A structural equation model was conducted with four groups of predictors and PMH/NMH as criteria (outcomes). Five of the six salutogenic predictors were predictive of both positive mental health (positively) and negative mental health, as measured by depression (negatively). Pathogenic predictors anxiety and depression were related to future depression, but not to positive mental health. Stress at baseline was related to both future positive mental health (negatively) and future depression (positively). Being male in this study was associated with increased future depression. Results hold across Germany, Russia, and China. Results support the conceptualization of positive and negative mental health as related, but independent dimensions across three cultures.
The aim of the study was to investigate the prevalence of, and attitudes toward, vegetarianism and veganism. We also assessed the association between vegetarianism/veganism and eating disorder, depressive, and somatic symptoms. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey in adults in Germany that was representative in terms of age, gender, and educational level was carried out. Data from 2449 adults (53.5% females) were included. Mean age was 49.6 (SD 17.1) years. A total of 5.4% of participants reported following a vegetarian or vegan diet. While the majority of participants agreed that vegetarian diets are healthy and harmless (56.1%), only 34.8% believed this to be true of vegan diets. The majority of participants also believed that a vegetarian (58.7%) or vegan (74.7%) diet can lead to nutritional deficiency. Female gender, younger age, higher education, lower body mass index (BMI), and higher depressive and eating disorder symptoms were found to be associated with vegetarianism/veganism. We did not find increased physical complaints in the group of vegetarians/vegans. Our results point toward a moderate prevalence of vegetarianism/veganism among the general population. Our findings suggest that health care professionals should keep eating disorder pathology, affective status in mind when dealing with individuals who choose a vegetarian/vegan dietary pattern.
Introducción: La universidad es una experiencia estresante, los estudiantes modifican sus patrones de alimentos como una respuesta de adaptación siendo que esto podría aumentar el riesgo de que generen sintomatología relacionada con la depresión. Objetivo: Identificar la relación entre el patrón de alimentos de los aspirantes universitarios y el riesgo de presentar depresión. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal, se analizó la información de 1556 aspirantes universitarios de entre 18 y 25 años de edad que participaron en la investigación multidisciplinaria en obesidad y factores socio-ambientales ("UP AMIGOS 2008"). Se les aplicó un cuestionario sobre síntomas depresivos (CESD-10) y un cuestionario basado en el índice de alimentación saludable. Para conocer la diferencia de medias entre muestras categóricas se realizó prueba de chi cuadrada. La comparación de datos se realizó mediante un análisis de regresión logística. Resultados: Se encontró que existe una relación positiva entre el riesgo de desarrollar depresión con el consumo elevado de embutidos (salchicha, jamón, chorizo) (P=0.008), el bajo consumo de carnes (P=0.013) y con pertenecer al sexo femenino (P<0.001). Conclusiones: Los síntomas depresivos deben monitorearse en los universitarios en especial las mujeres y en aquéllos que consumen alimentos con alto contenido de sal.
Background
Vegetarianism is linked with better physical health, but also to increased anxiety and depression. The aim of the present study is to examine the relationship between vegetarianism and both positive and negative mental health, across cultures and over time.
Method
Self-report questionnaire data were obtained from a large-scale multi-national cross-sectional sample including 2007 representative adult members of the German population, 3020 representative adults from Russia, and 3038 representative adults from the USA. Participants for the longitudinal analyses include university students from Germany (1608) and China (12,744). Statistical models included multiple linear regression, longitudinal linear models and longitudinal logistic models.
Results
Vegetarianism diet is not reliably related to positive or negative mental health in US and Russian representative samples or in German representative or student samples. Vegetarianism is related to slight increases over time in anxiety and depression in Chinese students. Conclusions: Vegetarianism is not associated with mental health in the US, Russia, or Germany, but is associated with anxiety and depression in China in this study. Future studies should examine the nuances of vegetarianism in more detail and their links with mental health, including dietary composition and cultural beliefs and economic circumstances. Future researchers in this area may also want to consider the effects of experimental manipulation of diet on mental health outcomes over time.
The present thesis addresses the phenomenon of contestatory consumption. This
term denotes the practices and discourses that, directly or indirectly, resort on
consumption for political contestation, to contest markets, social conventions and
encompassing different strategies and practices that potentially overflow the
boundaries between individual and collective, public and private sphere. Accordingly,
this thesis seeks to investigate the practices and discourses related to vegan
contestatory consumption. Given that the consumption practices carried out by the
adepts of veganism are understood by them as political actions towards the
exploitation of animals, it is questioned: these actions indicate changes in the form
and the content of political action in the contemporary scenario? As a result, we seek
to respond, respectively, to what extent the vegan contestatory consumption can be
interpreted as an expression of the rise of a lifestyle politics and what are the
grammars of vegan contestatory consumption. Thus, following the theoretical and
methodological orientation of the pragmatic sociology, especially Boltanski and
Thévenot's contributions, the present investigation aims to understand how the
contestatory consumption expresses a more individualized way of political action,
mediated, mainly through consumption relations. Therefore, the research carried out
focused on the justifications and criticisms that constitute this mode of engagement.
The empirical universe of research is composed mainly of interviews with vegans
carried out in two contexts, in Brazil and in Canada. Regarding the methodological
procedures, the study is based on qualitative approach. The data were analyzed
using categorical content (non-a priori) analysis technique. Based on the analysis of
the data and discussions throughout this thesis, we found that the vegan contestatory
consumption expresses the rise of more individualized forms of political action. Thus,
it denotes a form of political intervention in favor of non-animal exploitation that is
mainly resorted on actions at the private sphere. In another direction, the analyzes
carried out indicate that the grammar which gives support to the vegan contestatory
consumption is based, on the one hand, on arguments that point to the inadequacy
of animal exploitation in social, economic, mercantile and environmental terms, and,
on the other hand, in arguments based on a proper grammar, which seeks to
establish a new political bond, so as to include animals in the sphere of moral
consideration.
Artykuł ukazał sie w/This article was published in: Bożena Płonka-Syroka, Andrzej Syroka (red.), Produkty pochodzenia roślinnego w lecznictwie, dietetyce, kosmetyce, ekonomice i kulturze popularnej (Lek Roślinny, t. 4), Quaestio, Wrocław 2015, s. 141-175.
The aim of this study was to disseminate knowledge regarding the perceptions of Spanish consumers of chicken breast and their related lifestyles and to classify different consumer groups according to their food-related lifestyles. Nearly all Spanish consumers consume chicken breast once or twice per week. The preference for white or yellow chicken appears to be divided evenly, although the preferred is white chicken. Chicken breast is perceived as a product of convenience. Seventy percent of consumers buy chicken breast because it is easy to cook whereas only 27% prefer to buy the entire chicken. Four groups of consumers based on their lifestyles and their perceptions of chicken breast were identified: “Urban single”, “Traditional”, “Innovative precariat” and “Gourmet”. These types of consumers are consistent with types other studies have identified in terms of the lifestyles associated with other foods. Defining groups of consumers with differentiated perceptions of chicken breast is useful in managing marketing strategies to satisfy the various consumption needs associated with chicken breast.
Background:
Major depressive disorder is a common, chronic condition that imposes a substantial burden of disability globally. As current treatments are estimated to address only one-third of the disease burden of depressive disorders, there is a need for new approaches to prevent depression or to delay its progression. While in its early stages, converging evidence from laboratory, population research, and clinical trials now suggests that dietary patterns and specific dietary factors may influence the risk for depression. However, largely as a result of the recency of the nutritional psychiatry field, there are currently no dietary recommendations for depression.
Aim:
The aim of this paper is to provide a set of practical dietary recommendations for the prevention of depression, based on the best available current evidence, in order to inform public health and clinical recommendations.
Results:
Five key dietary recommendations for the prevention of depression emerged from current published evidence. These comprise: (1) follow 'traditional' dietary patterns, such as the Mediterranean, Norwegian, or Japanese diet; (2) increase consumption of fruits, vegetables, legumes, wholegrain cereals, nuts, and seeds; (3) include a high consumption of foods rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids; (4) replace unhealthy foods with wholesome nutritious foods; (5) limit your intake of processed-foods, 'fast' foods, commercial bakery goods, and sweets.
Conclusion:
Although there are a number of gaps in the scientific literature to date, existing evidence suggests that a combination of healthful dietary practices may reduce the risk of developing depression. It is imperative to remain mindful of any protective effects that are likely to come from the cumulative and synergic effect of nutrients that comprise the whole-diet, rather than from the effects of individual nutrients or single foods. As the body of evidence grows from controlled intervention studies on dietary patterns and depression, these recommendations should be modified accordingly.
The consumption of poultry meat has increased in parallel with the economic and social development happened in the last decades. The introduction of technically advanced and intensive production dramatically increased chicken supplies and decreased prices. Chicken meat is better valuated by consumers than red meat because the lower levels of fat and cholesterol. Besides chicken meat is cheap, is often packaged in convenience portions and has no religious restrictions toward consumption.
According to European legislation, active packagings are designed to deliberately incorporate components that would release or absorb substances in the packaged food or their environment. Silver nanoparticles and zinc oxide are used in many industrial applications for its strong antimicrobial effect on a broad spectrum. Moreover, they are listed in the Food and Drug Administration of the USA as GRASS (Generally Recognized As Safe). The most common method of using nanoparticles is their incorporation into the matrix with the container is made. The antimicrobial activity of nanoparticles may be associated with the release of ions which bind to the bacterial cell membrane and the induction of stress that causes degradation of the cell membrane, then killing the bacteria.
The quality of most foods, and especially chicken breast, decreases with time. The time from which the food is produced until the food becomes unacceptable is called shelf life. In shelf life studies, one or more criteria may be responsible of the reject of the sample. Physical, chemical, microbiological and sensory characteristics and make the sample unacceptable to the consumer.
Study of food related lifestyles is important because it can detect trends in consumption, analyze similarities and dissimilarities between countries or markets, and identify customer segments for new products. Conducting online surveys are taking great importance as the network access becomes more universal. The online survey has the advantage of the access to a large number of people with low cost and time, overcoming physical and psychological barriers to respondent, since anonymity is guaranteed.
The objectives of this work are:
- To study the effect of the use of active packaging incorporating silver and zinc oxide in two different concentrations on the shelf life of chicken breast.
- To study the buying habits and consumption of chicken breast by Spanish consumers.
- To characterize different Spanish consumer clusters of chicken based on their chicken breast related lifestyle.
A tray of low density polyethylene with ZnO and Ag nanoparticles was developed with had similar dimensions of one most used in industry for meat packaging. The experimental trays were subjected to tests of antimicrobial activity and migration of nanoparticles into food.
A total of 162 chicken breasts of different animals were randomly selected and assigned to the three studied types of trays. These trays were:
• control tray (C), which were trays that industry uses normally,
• nanoparticles trays including 5% ZnO + Ag (5%) and,
• nanoparticles trays including 10% ZnO + Ag (10%).
Trays were sealed incorporating a modified atmosphere with 70% of CO2, 20% of 02 and 10% of N. This atmosphere is commonly used in the processing plant for this product. The trays were stored in a cold room at 4 ° C with a cycle of 12 hours of light a day simulating the sale conditions to the public during a trial period of 0 , 7, 10 , 15 and 21 days.
Breasts were individually photographed in standardized light conditions, and the color of the meat was measured with a spectrophotometer. Having measured the instrumental color, each breast is divided into two portions. One half was used for lipid oxidation analysis and on the other half, microbiology analysis was performed. Another group of trays were allocated to sensory analysis. Tasters evaluated the odor intensity of the chicken, milk and cereal, tenderness, juiciness and sandy texture, intensity of flavor to chicken, acid, fat and abnormal flavors.
An online survey that asked about socio- economic and spending habits (related to lifestyle and consumer perception on the chicken breast) variables was made. In addition, respondents were shown pictures of breast packed in the control tray at each storage time, and they were asked about the willingness to pay for the showed breasts.
The effect of the factors studied (type of packaging and storage time) in the meat quality were evaluated by analysis of variance. The study of the sample was performed by relative frequencies and the analysis of the variables was done using the χ2 test. Using the questions of the survey, a cluster analysis was performed to define consumer clusters according affinity responses. The shelf life of the chicken breast on the basis of subjective evaluation was performed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves
The migration of nanoparticles from the packaging to food complies with the limits regulated by European legislation, demonstrating the safety of its use in food.
Trays containing ZnO + Ag nanoparticles, with a nanoparticles concentration of 5% or 10%, delayed about a week the changes of the oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations with respect to control. The effect of nanoparticles on bacteria was only clear when included at 10%, increasing the shelf life of the breast from 10 to 15 days.
The use of trays with nanoparticles of ZnO + Ag did not alter the instrumental color of the chicken breast, regardless of the concentration used. The chicken breast was characterized by a more stable color over time than red meats. Color was not a limiting factor in the shelf life of the chicken breast.
The trays with nanoparticles maintained the lipid oxidation at lower levels than the control tray, but similarly in both concentrations. However, the three types of oxidation packs maintained the breast below the rejection threshold. The use of trays with nanoparticles did not alter flavors or odors, but it influenced the texture. The packaging with nanoparticles improved tenderness with time.
The microbial counts has demonstrated to be the most limiting factor of the shelf life of the chicken breast. Taking this into account, we conclude that packages with Ag + ZnO nanoparticles increased the shelf life of the chicken breast in five days compared to the control tray.
Spanish consumers often consume chicken breast with a frequency of once or twice a week, without showing a clear preference for white or yellow chicken. Spanish consumer perception on the chicken breast is positive because it thinks it is a cheap meat, without fat and is healthy. However, 43% of consumer think it have hormones. The breast are perceived as healthy and convenient product of.
It was possible to identify four groups of consumers based on their lifestyles associated with the chicken breast, which were named as:
- Innovative low incomers, young childless couples with low incomes who like to innovate, with an active social life. They prefer buying convenience products, especially buying breast trays in supermarkets, but look at the price. They are not concerned about breast healthiness.
- Urban single, people with a high educational level who live alone in cities. They are not very interested in food and cooking, have a strong preference for purchasing convenience and avoid the whole chicken or presentations that require manipulation for consumption. They have a perception of the breast as a comfortable and healthy product
- Traditional, mature people with settled family environment, with a conservative profile about food and cooking, and strong preference for known products and brands. It is characterized by planning the purchase and buy the chicken breast in butchers, but prefers to buy the whole chicken. They have not concerns about the health or breast as healthy food.
- Gourmet, people with high incomes who do not live in the city. Are experimental and innovative profile that prefer to cook with high quality products, whether or not convenience, and do not consider price as important. For these reasons, do not consider breast as cheaper than other meat, and they buy it at butcher.
Subjective life of the chicken breast is largely dependent on the consumer. The socio-demographic characteristics such as sex, age and educational level are able to change the perception of this shelf life. Men, young people and people with basic education level are more tolerant and would take a few more hours to reject the purchase of breasts. The type of consumer, defined based on their spending, shopping and cooking habits, and the general perception of the chicken breast, also influenced the perception of life. Thus, for example, the "urban single" group will buy for 7 additional hours the breast compared to "gourmet" group.
Identifying as a vegan is a public declaration of one's identity, morals and lifestyle. Veganism is more than a diet; it is a philosophy and ethic. However, not all vegans hold the same norms and values. The differences are often determined by the reasons why one chooses to become a
vegan. Using Coffman's theory of impression management and the presentation of self, this qualitative study examines how sixteen self-defined ethical vegans negotiate contradictions in their ethics and behavior. The vegans construct a sense of authenticity through accommodating strategies
when they feel inauthentic. This is a two-prong process. They present a narrative of themselves in relation to the “other”-those they define as health vegans-and in relation to other ethical vegans. Through these narratives, this paper explores how these vegans negotiate the difficulties
of living in an animal-based consumer-driven society in a manner that preserves their ethics. Additionally, this paper observes how they cope when their behavior contradicts their identity as authentic vegans.
Objective:
Several studies have reported that vegetarian diets are associated with a higher prevalence of major depression. Therefore, we hypothesised that the consumption of animal products, especially eggs, may have positive effects on mental health, especially on major depression, because a previous study reported that egg consumption produces numerous beneficial effects in humans. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effects of chronic whole-egg treatment on depression-like behaviours in Wistar rats, a control strain, and Wistar Kyoto rats, an animal model of depression.
Methods:
In both the rats, either whole-egg solution (5 ml/kg) or distilled water (5 ml/kg) was orally administrated for 35 days. During these periods, the open-field test (OFT) was conducted on the 21st day, and a forced swimming test (FST) was enforced on the 27th and 28th days. On the 36th day, the plasma and brain were collected.
Results:
Chronic whole-egg treatment did not affect line crossing in the OFT, whereas it reduced the total duration of immobility in the FST on both strains. Furthermore, interestingly, the results indicated the possibility that whole-egg treatment elevated the incorporation of tryptophan into the brain, and the tryptophan concentration in the prefrontal cortex was actually increased by the treatment.
Conclusion:
This study demonstrated that whole-egg treatment exerts an antidepressant-like effect in the FST. It is suggested that whole egg may be an excellent food for preventing and alleviating the conditions of major depression.
The vegetarian diet embraces many features of the recommended healthier diets, e.g. more fibre and less saturated fat. Cooper et al. asked a group of 20 well educated, native-born American vegetarians why they chose to become vegetarian. Thirteen mentioned health concerns. By comparing vegetarians with 'normal' eaters in a randomly selected population, it should be possible to identify some of the factors which influence healthier diet changes, and to incorporate these into health education programmes.
Male and female undergraduates (18-23 years old; 68% in their first year; N = 158) who had just chosen a vegetarian dish in a campus dining hall or restaurant reported a diversity of meat avoidance habits before arrival at University a few weeks previously. More women than men had avoided meat and other flesh foods, with the exception of fish. Consistently with the distinction between "red" and "white" meats, chicken and turkey were the least often avoided flesh foods among men and women. The only clear gradation from flesh-eating to vegetarianism was eating poultry and either beef/lamb or pork, eating only poultry and eating neither; fish was not on this Guttman scale, contrary to previous assumptions. Reasons for avoiding meat and perceived influences on preferences for food in their chosen vegetarian dish were elicited by open-ended interviews in 41 women from the meat-avoidance survey. Rationales spontaneously offered were as diverse as reported in previous studies, but always included at least two of the following: ethics of raising/killing animals, concern for health, sensory factors, disgust and influence of friends. In contrast, choices among described variants of the familiar dish were largely controlled by its sensory and nutritional features, presumably because other attributes had been factored out.
To examine the associations of diet and other lifestyle factors with body mass index (BMI) using data from the Oxford Vegetarian Study.
1914 male and 3378 female non-smokers aged 20-89 y at recruitment to the study.
All subjects completed a diet/lifestyle questionnaire at recruitment giving details of their usual diet and other characteristics including height and weight, smoking and drinking habits, amount of exercise, occupation and reproductive history. Answers to the food frequency questionnaire were used to classify subjects as either meat eaters or non-meat eaters, and to estimate intakes of animal fat and dietary fibre. Subjects were further classified according to their alcohol consumption, exercise level, social class, past smoking habits and parity.
Mean BMI was lower in non-meat eaters than in meat eaters in all age groups for both men and women. Overall age-adjusted mean BMIs in kg/m2 were 23.18 and 22.05 for male meat eaters and non-meat eaters respectively (P < 0.0001) and 22.32 and 21.32 for female meat eaters and non-meat eaters respectively (P < 0.0001). In addition to meat consumption, dietary fibre intake, animal fat intake, social class and past smoking were all independently associated with BMI in both men and women; alcohol consumption was independently associated with BMI in men, and parity was independently associated with BMI in women. After adjusting for these factors, the differences in mean BMI between meat eaters and non-meat eaters were reduced by 36% in men and 31% in women.
Non-meat eaters are thinner than meat eaters. This may be partly due to a higher intake of dietary fibre, a lower intake of animal fat, and only in men a lower intake of alcohol.
We combined data from 5 prospective studies to compare the death rates from common diseases of vegetarians with those of nonvegetarians with similar lifestyles. A summary of these results was reported previously; we report here more details of the findings. Data for 76172 men and women were available. Vegetarians were those who did not eat any meat or fish (n = 27808). Death rate ratios at ages 16-89 y were calculated by Poisson regression and all results were adjusted for age, sex, and smoking status. A random-effects model was used to calculate pooled estimates of effect for all studies combined. There were 8330 deaths after a mean of 10.6 y of follow-up. Mortality from ischemic heart disease was 24% lower in vegetarians than in nonvegetarians (death rate ratio: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.62, 0.94; P<0.01). The lower mortality from ischemic heart disease among vegetarians was greater at younger ages and was restricted to those who had followed their current diet for >5 y. Further categorization of diets showed that, in comparison with regular meat eaters, mortality from ischemic heart disease was 20% lower in occasional meat eaters, 34% lower in people who ate fish but not meat, 34% lower in lactoovovegetarians, and 26% lower in vegans. There were no significant differences between vegetarians and nonvegetarians in mortality from cerebrovascular disease, stomach cancer, colorectal cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer, or all other causes combined.
To determine the prevalence of vegetarianism and compare food habits among vegetarian and omnivorous adolescents in Sweden and Norway.
Cross-sectional study by questionnaire in Sweden and Norway to gather information about food habits.
The municipalities of Umeå and Stockholm in Sweden, and Bergen in Norway.
In total 2041 ninth-grade students (578 from Umeå, 504 from Stockholm and 959 from Bergen), mean age 15.5 years, were included. The response rate was 95% in Umeå, 91% in Stockholm and 83% in Bergen.
There was a significantly higher prevalence of vegetarianism in Umeå (15.6%) than in Stockholm (4.8%) and Bergen (3.8%). Vegetarians generally wanted more information about a healthy diet and vegetarian females ate dietary supplements to prevent deficiencies more often than omnivorous females (P < 0.01). The young male vegetarians more or less excluded animal products from their diet without changing their food frequency intake or modifying their dietary habits in other respects, while the young female vegetarians more often consumed vegetables and dietary supplements (P < 0.05). However, there was no difference between the intake of fruits/berries, alcoholic beverages, ice cream, sweets/chocolates and fast foods by vegetarians compared with omnivores.
There were three to four times more vegetarians in Umeå than in Stockholm and Bergen. The food habits of the young vegetarians differed from those of omnivorous adolescents and also in some respects from previously published comparative studies of vegetarians' and omnivores' food habits. It is uncertain whether the health benefits shown in previous studies on vegetarianism will be experienced by this young generation of vegetarians.
Objective:
To compare a population-based sample of vegetarian and nonvegetarian adolescents regarding food intake patterns, disordered eating, and a range of other non–food-related health-compromising and health-promoting behaviors.
Design:
A cross-sectional school-based survey.
Setting:
Public schools within nonurban areas of Minnesota.
Participants:
Adolescents (n=107) aged 12 to 20 years who reported on the Minnesota Adolescent Health Survey that they follow a vegetarian diet and a comparison group of nonvegetarian youth (n=214) matched for sex, age, and ethnicity. The percentage of self-identified vegetarians in the study population was relatively low (0.6%); most of the vegetarians were female (81%).
Main Outcome Measures:
Food intake patterns, disordered eating (frequent dieting, binge eating, self-induced vomiting, and laxative use), health-compromising behaviors (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use and suicide attempts), and health-promoting behaviors (seat belt use, physical activity, and brushing teeth regularly).
Results:
Vegetarian adolescents were twice as likely to consume fruits and vegetables (P<.001), one third as likely to consume sweets (P<.001), and one fourth as likely to eat salty snack foods (P<.001) more than once a day compared with nonvegetarians. Vegetarians were almost twice as likely to report frequent dieting (P<.001), 4 times as likely to report intentional vomiting (P<.001), and 8 times as likely to report laxative use (P<.001) than nonvegetarians. Overall, associations with other health-compromising and health-promoting behaviors were not apparent.
Conclusions:
A vegetarian diet may be beneficial because of increased fruit and vegetable consumption and decreased consumption of foods high in fat, salt, and sugar. However, adolescents following a vegetarian diet need to be screened for adequate food intake and potential disordered eating behaviors.Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 1997;151:833-838
The main findings of a detailed qualitative study of the
motivations, beliefs and attitudes of practising vegetarians and vegans
are reported. It is concluded that vegetarianism, while remaining very
much a minority option, is increasing steadily in the UK population,
although the rate of increase appears to vary by such factors as age,
gender and socio-economic category. Those who opt for a non-meat-eating
dietary pattern may well represent the vanguard of a form of ethical
consumerism to which food producers, processors and retailers will need
to be increasingly responsive in the near future.
The aim of this study was to examine the likely cognitive and social ideological influences associated with teenage vegetarianism. Two thousand adolescents (mean age 16 years) took part in a survey conducted in 52 South Australian schools. The data collected from two questionnaires was reduced in complexity by principal components analyses and the resulting factor scores examined via ANOVA which compared female Non-Vegetarians (NV) with Full and Semi Vegetarians (FSV). FSV exhibited more concern for the environment, animal welfare and gender equity than non vegetarians. In addition, and contrary to our initial hypotheses, FSV reported more concern about their appearance, greater use of TV programs for behavioural modelling, and greater prevalence of extreme weight loss behaviours. The findings suggest a possible developmental link between teenage vegetarianism and eating disorders which may be part of female adolescent identity development.
The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of teenage vegetarianism and associated food habits and beliefs. Two thousand senior secondary school students (mean age 16 years), from 52 schools in South Australia, participated in a two part survey. The findings show that teenage vegetarianism is primarily a female phenomenon, ranging in prevalence, according to definition, from 8 to 37% of women and 1 to 12% of men. Support for vegetarian practices was high especially from mothers (63%) and classmates (46%). Generally, “teenage vegetarians” consumed fewer red meats than non-vegetarians but ate more chicken. They cited health, animal welfare and environmental reasons in support of their habits. The importance of operational definitions of vegetarianism is emphasized and the findings are discussed in relation to likely motivational influences.
This study compared vegetarian and non-vegetarian teenage English girls' attitudes towards meat. A convenience sample of 15 vegetarian (mean age 17.2 years) and 15 non-vegetarian (mean age 17.3 years) girls was recruited from a teenage health clinic. Attitudes towards meat were assessed in a single, tape-recorded, semi-structured interview. Eight themes of the cultural meaning of meat were identified; five were common to both groups: Animal (66% of vegetarians, 33% of non-vegetarians); Taste/Texture/Smell (66%, 60%); Flesh and Blood (86%, 26%); Colour (33%, 20%); Miscellaneous (60%, 46%). The theme Eating Well was unique to the non-vegetarian group (40%). The themes Life/Death and Health-related were unique to the vegetarian group (66 and 20%, respectively). The vegetarians generally abhorred killing animals for food, meat's sensory characteristics and ingesting blood. A meat-free diet was not particularly associated with health in either group. The non-vegetarians tended to characterize meat positively, both liking meat's sensory characteristics and associating meat with luxury and special occasions. We speculate on possible reasons for the current popularity of vegetarianism in teenage girls.
Twenty healthy, non-smoking, normal-weight omnivores volunteered for a nutrition counselling programme and changed from a mixed to a Scandinavian lactovegetarian diet. Dietary surveys were performed before and 3, 6 and 12 months after the dietary shift. The major trends when changing from a mixed diet to a lactovegetarian diet included an increase in the consumption of fruits, berries, vegetables, herbal tea and dairy products, and a decrease in the intake of biscuits and buns, sweets, alcoholic beverages, coffee and tea. There was a total absence of fish, eggs and meat products at 3 and 6 months after the dietary shift. At 12 months after the dietary shift two subjects ate small amounts of these animal products. The energy intake decreased throughout the study. The nutrient intake showed the greatest change between the period before and 3 months after the dietary shift. Between 3, 6 and 12 months after the dietary shift there were only minor changes. The observed change in meal pattern is associated with the change in consumption of various food items, the change in nutrient intake and the change in food preparation methods. Further studies should try to clarify the relationship between meal pattern and food intake, nutrient intake and food preparation methods, because counselling on meal pattern most certainly is more rapid and more easily understood than counselling on food and nutrient intake.
The error in self-reported weight and height compared with measured weight and height was evaluated in a nationally representative sample of 11,284 adults aged 20-74 y from the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey of 1976-1980. Although weight and height were reported, on the average, with small errors, self-reported weight and height are unreliable in important population subgroups. Errors in self-reporting weight were directly related to a person's overweight status--bias and unreliability in self-report increased directly with the magnitude of overweight. Errors in self-reported weight were greater in overweight females than in overweight males. Race, age, and end-digit preference were ancillary predictors of reporting error in weight. Errors in self-reporting height were related to a person's age--bias and unreliability in self-reporting increased directly with age after age 45 y. Overweight status was also a predictor of reporting error in height.
Health practices, attitudes, and beliefs were studied in 150 vegetarians and 150 nonvegetarians matched for age and sex. A questionnaire was administered that included a medical history and questions concerning use of medications, recreational drugs, nutrition supplements, and alcohol; smoking habits; exercise; and relaxation activities. The questionnaire also included Likert scales on which the subjects rated themselves according to their knowledge and practice of nutrition and diet and their agreement or disagreement with statements concerning health. Vegetarians believed in visiting a physician when they were ill but were more willing to try alternative or unusual therapies and/or preventive treatments. Substances that are potentially harmful to the body, such as alcohol, tobacco, or prescription drugs, were used less frequently by vegetarians. Conversely, greater use was seen of substances that are thought to improve health. The area of greatest difference between the groups was in their attitudes and beliefs concerning health. Although the vegetarians believed that they as a group were healthier than nonvegetarians, the lack of differences in self-ratings of health and incidence of health problems suggest that that perception may not be true.
A demographic and social profile was compiled for 150 vegetarians and 150 nonvegetarians who were matched for age and sex. A 328-item questionnaire containing both closed- and open-ended questions was administered. Information collected included personal and demographic data, personal habits, social activities, and possible influences of vegetarianism. No differences were observed in the cultural, ethnic, or familial background of the groups. Vegetarians were less influenced by parents and traditional religions, were slightly less well educated, and were employed in less-skilled occupations. However, vegetarians socialized more than nonvegetarians, as evidenced by their greater frequency of entertaining, going out with friends, and joining organizations. The commitment to vegetarianism was strong and appeared to be reinforced by an extensive network of family and friends who were also vegetarians. This strong support network was particularly evident for those who practiced the more restrictive forms of vegetarianism, the only major difference observed within the types of vegetarians studied.
Food and other avoidances and attitudes toward health services of 100 young vegetarians are reported.
Here, anthropometric, clinical, and biochemical data on 76 contemporary men and women vegetarians are reported and discussed.
The aim of the nationwide study on dietary behaviour of adolescents was to describe and evaluate dietary habits, and relate that to other lifestyle factors. DESIGN AND SUBJECT: 1564 students in secondary schools completed a self-administered quantitative food frequency questionnaire in a school setting.
The questionnaire showed an average energy intake of 15.8 and 9.9 MJ among boys and girls, respectively. Nearly 31% of the energy was supplied by fat and 11.4% by sugar. The average daily intake of micronutrients exceeded the Norwegian recommendations, except for vitamin D and iron in girls. 13.4% of the students had breakfast twice a week or less. These students had a higher percentage of energy from fat and sugar, and a lower intake of micronutrients, than students eating breakfast more often. Students who were daily smokers or fairly inactive had higher energy percentage from fat and sugar and lower intake of fibre, than non-smokers or physically active students.
Half of the students consumed a diet with too much fat and two-thirds consumed too much sugar as compared to the recommendations. The girls had a diet with a higher nutrient density and a lower fat energy percentage than the boys. Finally, it seemed as if a healthy lifestyle was associated with a healthy diet.
An expert committee was convened to determine specific criteria for overweight to be integrated into routine preventive screening of adolescents. Body mass index (BMI) should be used routinely to screen for overweight adolescents. Youth with BMIs > or = 95th percentile for age and sex, or > 30 (in kg/m2) should be considered overweight and referred for indepth medical follow-up to determine underlying diagnoses. Adolescents with BMIs > or = 85th percentile but < 95th percentile or < or = 30, should be considered at risk of overweight, and should be referred to a second-level screen. The second-level screen includes family history, blood pressure, total cholesterol, large prior increment in BMI, and concern about weight. If youths are positive for any of the items on the second-level screen they should be referred for further medical assessment.
To explore whether the so-called insulin resistance syndrome can be identified in adolescents, serum insulin level was measured in 842 healthy Swedish adolescents (462 boys and 380 girls) and the values were related to current serum lipoprotein and apolipoprotein values (triglyceride [TG], total cholesterol [TC], high-density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C], apolipoprotein [apo] A-I, apo B, and lipoprotein(a)), blood pressure (BP), and anthropometric measurements and previous physical growth. Mean serum insulin values were higher in 14-year-olds as compared with 17-year-olds and were highest in midpuberty. Adolescents with a high serum insulin had a higher attained height and weight during infancy and childhood. Obesity (body mass index [BMI] > 30 kg/m2) was found in 1% of both boys and girls, and hypertensive BP levels were found in 3% of the boys and 1% of the girls. Controlling for age, serum insulin correlated positively with BMI (r = .36 and .25 in boys and girls, respectively), TG (r = .32 and .14), LDL-C (r = .17 and .24), and apoB (r = .23 and .23) and negatively with HDL-C (r = -.13 and -.21). High serum insulin, TG, LDL-C, and BP and low HDL-C clustered in adolescents with high BMI. In conclusion, the findings of this study indicate that features typical of the insulin resistance syndrome are already present in adolescents.
Ecologic and philosophic as well as health concerns have led to an increasing number of adolescent vegetarians. The various types of vegetarianism differ substantially in dietary composition. Benefits of the vegetarian diet must be balanced by careful attention to ensuring adequate intake of protein and amino acids as well as certain vitamins and minerals that tend to be less available in plant foods.
Preventing substance abuse] Ungdom, livsstil og helsefremmende arbeid [Adolescents, Lifestyle and Health Promotion], 2nd edition. Oslo, Norway: Universitetsforlaget
- Ki Klepp
- Rusforebyggende
- Ki Klepp
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Klepp KI. Rusforebyggende arbeid [Preventing substance abuse]. In: Klepp KI, Aarø LE (eds). Ungdom, livsstil og helsefremmende arbeid [Adolescents, Lifestyle and Health Promotion], 2nd edition. Oslo, Norway: Universitetsforlaget, 1997:110–25. 198 LARSSON ET AL. JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENT HEALTH Vol. 31, No. 2
Preventing substance abuse Ungdom, livsstil og helsefremmende arbeid [Adolescents, Lifestyle and Health Promotion
- Ki Klepp
- Rusforebyggende
Klepp KI. Rusforebyggende arbeid [Preventing substance abuse]. In: Klepp KI, Aarø LE (eds). Ungdom, livsstil og helsefremmende arbeid [Adolescents, Lifestyle and Health Promotion], 2nd edition. Oslo, Norway: Universitetsforlaget, 1997:110 –25.
Who are vegetarians and what do they think about food?
- A Draper
- N Malhotra
- Wheeler
Draper A, Malhotra N, Wheeler E. Who are vegetarians and what do they think about food? Proc Nutr Soc 1990;49:61A.
Who are they? The new vegetarians
- Dwyer
- Jt
- Ldvh Mayer
- Kandel Rf
Dwyer JT, Mayer LDVH, Kandel RF, et al. Who are they? The new vegetarians. J Am Diet Assoc 1973;62:503–9.
Relative validity and reliability of a mailed food use questionnaire Nutrition in Europe
- E Callmer
- Hedberg
Callmer E, Hedberg P. Relative validity and reliability of a mailed food use questionnaire. In: van den Berg EME, Bosman W, Breedveld BC (eds). Nutrition in Europe. Proceedings of the 4th European Nutrition Conference. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Federation of European Nutrition Societies, 1983.
Drug habits of school pupils in 1996
- B Andersson
Andersson B, Hibell B. Drug habits of school pupils in 1996. Report no. 31. Stockholm: Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and Other Drugs, 1996.