It is scientifically known that eating large amounts of meat – especially red and processed meat – can be very harmful to physical and mental health. In addition to increasing the risk of cancer, consumption of this food is associated with increased free radicals, inflammation, hormonal imbalances, mood disturbances, and disorders such as mania. “However, we cannot say that vegetarian or vegan diets in themselves are protective factors for mental illness,” says Lucas Alves Pereira, a psychiatrist at the Portuguese Hospital in El Salvador.
For Claudio Santos, 36, from São Paulo, from Protas (SP), following a vegetarian diet, unlike Murillo, was not as beneficial as he expected. He has been without meat for a year and a half and says his depression has returned. “I suffered from the direct effects, on the body, and indirectly, from the repercussions on my social relationships, my self-image and my self-confidence, and I came back. I had to undergo psychotherapy again and use medications,” he says.
Pereira explains that proteins of animal origin are rich in vitamin B, and vitamin B12 deficiency in particular for a long period, without supplementation, can exacerbate symptoms of depression. “Moreover, without a sufficient amount of zinc and iron, which are abundant in meat, the brain receives less oxygen, slows down, and experiences fatigue and poor thinking,” says the doctor.
Other impacts need to be evaluated
Some people choose a vegetarian diet (which excludes all animal products), while others reduce meat consumption or prefer alternative sources. But regardless of the choice, it is important to have a balanced and varied diet, which provides all the essential nutrients for the proper functioning of the body.
