Can a lack of meat in your diet mess with your mind?!

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It is extremely unlikely you lack protein unless all you eat is chocolate. But there is tonnes of evidence linking poor diet to psychiatric illnesses such as depression. The lack of feeling you describe could be a symptom of depression. If you eat lots of junk food, especially those high in fats and refined sugars then it is possible your diet is contributing to this. Otherwise it could be some other reason, depression occurs in a very high proportion of people. The increased rate coincides with the increases in processed food consumption since world war two, but it is unreasonable to say this is a cause because it is possible that more people are getting help and being diagnosed since it has become less of a social stigma to seek help for psychiatric illness in that same time frame.

Anyway, I think you should see a doctor so at least you can eliminate depression from the range of possible explanations.

http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/261/15/…

Yes, your diet does affect your mind. For example, a lack of B12 is related to memory loss and depression. You need to start eating better. The simplest thing, of course, is start eating some meat. But if you choose not to do that, you need to learn how to replace the nutrients you're missing in meat....and there are lots of them.

A lack of B12 can cause permanent nervous system damage. You only get one body per life. If you don't take care of it; it won't take care of you in your old age.

It's not a result of being vegetarian, it's because you're not doing it right. I suggest you talk to your doctor and you can plan out what foods to eat, what sources of protein you want to eat.. etc etc. If it was you're a vegetarian, every vegetarian/vegan would be insane.

Vegetarian for 4 years

Cutting meat from your diet will not "mess with your mind," but eating junk food (like highly processed soy products) will.

Vegetarian since birth

If you're not getting enough protein, iron, vitamin B12, calcium, and vitamin D in your diet, then yes, you can very easily start having mental health issues. You need to work on creating a more balanced diet for yourself and replace the nutrients you're losing by not eating meat or having dairy.

For protein, eat a variety of beans, rough-cut oatmeal, and plenty of tofu and tempeh. For iron, eat plenty of dark leafy greens like spinach, as well as iron-fortified cereals, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, figs, and almonds. You also need to get enough vitamin C so that your body absorbs the iron adequately. For vitamin B12, you must take a synthetic supplement because it is only found in meat and dairy products. For calcium, you can eat calcium-fortified cereals but I also recommend taking a calcium supplement with vitamin D added because it helps your body with calcium absorption.

Vegan and vegetarian lifestyles are usually very healthy because you generally have to be much more conscious about what you eat, but if you aren't replacing those non-vegetarian/vegan foods with items that are rich in the nutrients your body needs, you will not only experience mental health problems but also physical health issues.

Strict vegan & physician :)

Meat substitutes are not a nutritional substitute for meat. They are merely designed to imitate the taste and texture of meat for vegetarians who may miss eating meat. If you are relying on imitation meat for nutrition then I am not surprised you're having a hard time.

Try using an online food diary, such as http://www.calorieking.com/ to keep track of what you're eating, and more importantly, what sort nutrition you're getting on a daily basis. You may be surprised at how much protein you're getting or how little protein you actually need (the way you say you're "probably not getting nearly enough protein" implies you think you need a lot and eat very little).

I hesitate to say your experiences come as a result from not eating meat. They come from not eating properly, and it has nothing to do with whether or not you're eating meat. The same things can (and do) happen to people who eat meat but don't eat a nutritionally complete diet.

For more information on nutrition for vegetarians, see this link;
http://www.veganhealth.org/

Wow, Cliff's links are excruciatingly lame. I couldn't even read the Chet Day article past the point that it claimed healthy long-term vegans occasionally eat animal products and that's the only way they stay healthy. As for the other article, they're recommending you eat 1/4lb of butter *everyday*. - or 40% of your calorie intake as animal fat. I feel sorry for anyone taking that advice.

Hi, Cam! I would have an easier time answering your question if I knew what you are actually eating on a daily basis, as a vegetarian diet could mean many things. However, if the lack of emotion you're experiencing is related to diet, it has nothing to do with lack of protein. Human breast milk gets only 6% of its calories from protein. If rapidly growing infants don't need more than that, adults certainly don't. Our bodies function optimally when at least 80% of our calories come from carbohydrates, namely the simple carbs abundant in fruit.

Enjoy plenty of sleep, sunlight, exercise, and if you suspect a deficiency, go in for a blood test. Eat more fruit; eat fewer fatty foods.

To consider other possibilities, look back to a time when you were experiencing more emotion, and compare your current circumstances to your situation back then. Best of luck to you, beautiful.

The 80/10/10 Diet

If you are eating a very poor diet and lacking in nutrients it can effect mind and body. I first suggest a trip to your general practitioner, blood work up, physical, etc.

After a visit to your g.p, I would suggest talking with a psychologist. I am not a trained professional, but you seem to be describing the symptoms of severe depression. You are obviously suffering some psychological issues, and only a trained professional can give you the cause, and possible solutions to your health issues.


Speculating what the problem is will only get you so far. You can guess all you like at the cause, but without a profession, tests, etc you will never know for sure what the issue is. If you don't know the actual cause, you cannot know how to cure it.

Yes.

Read the articles that vegetarians and vegans don't want you to see:
http://www.listen2yourgut.com/blog/dange…
http://chetday.com/vegandietdangers.htm

yes