Vegan mental health

Vegetarianism and veganism compared with mental health and cognitive outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis

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Meta-Analysis

. 2021 Mar 9;79(4):361-381.

doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa030.

Isabel Iguacel^{1 2 3 4}, Inge Huybrechts⁵, Luis A Moreno^{6 7 8}, Nathalie Michels⁹

Affiliations

¹ GENUD (Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development) Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences , University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
² Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain.
³ Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain.
⁴ CIBERObn (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición), Zaragoza, Spain.
⁵ Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France.
⁶ GENUD (Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development) Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
⁷ Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain; the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain.
⁸ CIBERObn (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición) , Zaragoza, Spain.
⁹ Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.

PMID: 32483598
DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa030

Meta-Analysis

Isabel Iguacel et al. Nutr Rev. 2021.

. 2021 Mar 9;79(4):361-381.

doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa030.

Authors

Isabel Iguacel^{1 2 3 4}, Inge Huybrechts⁵, Luis A Moreno^{6 7 8}, Nathalie Michels⁹

Affiliations

¹ GENUD (Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development) Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences , University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
² Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain.
³ Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain.
⁴ CIBERObn (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición), Zaragoza, Spain.
⁵ Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium; and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, World Health Organization, Lyon, France.
⁶ GENUD (Growth, Exercise, NUtrition and Development) Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
⁷ Instituto Agroalimentario de Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain; the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain.
⁸ CIBERObn (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición) , Zaragoza, Spain.
⁹ Department of Public Health, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.

PMID: 32483598
DOI: 10.1093/nutrit/nuaa030

Abstract

Context: Vegetarian and vegan diets are increasing in popularity. Although they provide beneficial health effects, they may also lead to nutritional deficiencies. Cognitive impairment and mental health disorders have a high economic burden.

Objective: A meta-analysis was conducted to examine the relationship between vegan or vegetarian diets and cognitive and mental health.

Data sources: PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, and Proquest databases were examined from inception to July 2018.

Study selection: Original observational or interventional human studies of vegan/vegetarian diets were selected independently by 2 authors.

Data extraction: Raw means and standard deviations were used as continuous outcomes, while numbers of events were used as categorical outcomes.

Results: Of 1249 publications identified, 13 were included, with 17 809 individuals in total. No significant association was found between diet and the continuous depression score, stress, well-being, or cognitive impairment. Vegans/vegetarians were at increased risk for depression (odds ratio = 2.142; 95%CI, 1.105-4.148) and had lower anxiety scores (mean difference = -0.847; 95%CI, -1.677 to -0.018). Heterogeneity was large, and thus subgroup analyses showed numerous differences.

Conclusions: Vegan or vegetarian diets were related to a higher risk of depression and lower anxiety scores, but no differences for other outcomes were found. Subgroup analyses of anxiety showed a higher risk of anxiety, mainly in participants under 26 years of age and in studies with a higher quality. More studies with better overall quality are needed to make clear positive or negative associations.

Systematic review registration: PROSPERO registration no. CRD42018097204.

Keywords: anxiety; cognition; dementia; depression; memory; mental health; stress; vegan; vegetarian diet; well-being.

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Biological Role of Nutrients, Food and Dietary Patterns in the Prevention and Clinical Management of Major Depressive Disorder.
Ortega MA, Fraile-Martínez Ó, García-Montero C, Alvarez-Mon MA, Lahera G, Monserrat J, Llavero-Valero M, Gutiérrez-Rojas L, Molina R, Rodríguez-Jimenez R, Quintero J, De Mon MA. Ortega MA, et al. Nutrients. 2022 Jul 28;14(15):3099. doi: 10.3390/nu14153099. Nutrients. 2022. PMID: 35956276 Free PMC article. Review.
Is vegetarianism related to anxiety and depression? A cross-sectional survey in a French sample.
Bègue L, Shankland R. Bègue L, et al. J Health Popul Nutr. 2022 May 9;41(1):18. doi: 10.1186/s41043-022-00300-2. J Health Popul Nutr. 2022. PMID: 35534854 Free PMC article.
Plant-based dietary quality and depressive symptoms in Australian vegans and vegetarians: a cross-sectional study.
Lee MF, Eather R, Best T. Lee MF, et al. BMJ Nutr Prev Health. 2021 Oct 21;4(2):479-486. doi: 10.1136/bmjnph-2021-000332. eCollection 2021. BMJ Nutr Prev Health. 2021. PMID: 35028517 Free PMC article.
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Moreno LA, Meyer R, Donovan SM, Goulet O, Haines J, Kok FJ, Van't Veer P. Moreno LA, et al. Adv Nutr. 2021 Nov 27;13(2):355-75. doi: 10.1093/advances/nmab139. Online ahead of print. Adv Nutr. 2021. PMID: 34849542 Free PMC article.
Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Other Lifestyle Factors in the Prevention of Cognitive Decline and Dementia.
Dominguez LJ, Veronese N, Vernuccio L, Catanese G, Inzerillo F, Salemi G, Barbagallo M. Dominguez LJ, et al. Nutrients. 2021 Nov 15;13(11):4080. doi: 10.3390/nu13114080. Nutrients. 2021. PMID: 34836334 Free PMC article. Review.

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Veganism and Depression: What's the Link?

Major depressive disorders are the second largest worldwide contributor to the number of years a person lives in suboptimal health (1).

Many factors can influence why some people may experience depression, including what they eat.

Anecdotally, some people report improved mood and less anxiety when eating a vegan diet. However, others report worsened symptoms (1).

In this article, I’ll review what the latest studies have to say about veganism and depression, including if there’s a link between the two.

What you eat can influence how you feel, both physically and mentally.

When it comes to your mood, more than 50 studies conducted in various countries suggest that what a person eats may influence how likely they are to experience depression (1).

For instance, a large randomized control trial (RCT) — the gold standard in nutrition research — looked at the diets of people with major depressive symptoms.

It found that people with depression who followed a prescribed diet high in whole grains, lean protein, low fat dairy, and plant foods were four times more likely to experience remission than those who consumed a diet lower in those foods and higher in ultra-processed foods (2).

The drop in depressive symptoms was independent of changes in physical activity or body weight, and those who improved their diet the most reported the greatest reduction in depressive symptoms (2).

In another study, a Mediterranean-style diet coupled with fish oil supplements significantly improved self-reported symptoms of depression over three months (3).

A recent review further supports the notion that eating a high quality diet, regardless of whether it is plant-based, may reduce the risk of depression by up to 23% (4).

In these studies, the high quality diet was typically defined as one rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, olive oil, fish, and other seafood (1).

Keep in mind that these study results don’t mean that a diet low in those foods causes depression, though. Depression is caused or influenced by many various factors, with diet being only one of them.

That said, a well-rounded and nutritious diet does appear to help at least some people experience fewer symptoms of depression, so altering your diet may be a helpful strategy worth considering.

Finding support for depression symptoms

If you need to talk to someone right away, help is available:

Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Text “HOME” to the Crisis Text Line at 741741.
If you’re living with a mental health or substance use disorder, call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 800-662-4357.
If you’re a young person of color, text STEVE to 741741.
Call the Trans Lifeline Hotline at 877-565-8860 (US) or 877-330-6366 (Canada).
Not in the U.S.? Find a helpline in your country with Befrienders Worldwide.

If you’re not currently in crisis but you’re considering working with a mental health professional, these resources may be able to help you get started:

When to Consult a Psychologist
How Can I Get Help for Depression?
9 Tips for Finding the Right Therapist
Finding an LGBTQIA+ Affirming Therapist: Questions and Answers to Help
Therapy for Every Budget: How to Access It
The Best Affordable or Free Online Therapy Services of 2022

SUMMARY
A well-rounded, nutritious diet high in whole grains, fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, and lean proteins may help reduce your symptoms of depression or lower the likelihood that you’ll experience this mental illness.

A vegan diet tends to be naturally richer in fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains — foods that are all predominant in the high quality diets that studies link to a lower risk of depression (1).

A higher intake of fruits and vegetables has also been independently linked to a lower risk of depression and overall better mental wellbeing (5).

Vegan diets tend to be rich in antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients shown to be protective against depression and depressive symptoms (6).

When it comes to the research, a handful of studies suggest that people who follow a vegan diet may experience a lower risk of depression (7, 8, 9).

Yet, other studies report either no difference or a higher risk of depression in vegans than people who eat meat, eggs, or fish (10, 11, 12, 13, 14).

Currently, a vegan diet is not typically recommended as a way to treat depression.

If you’d like to give it a try nonetheless, I encourage you to seek guidance from a registered dietitian (RD) to make sure that your diet fulfills all of your nutrient requirements.

That’s because a poorly-planned vegan diet might not provide you with enough of the nutrients essential for optimal brain health, such as vitamin B-12 and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. That means making sure your diet is well-planned is a must (15, 16, 17).

If you’re worried that working with an RD is outside of your budget, remember that many RDs accept health insurance and Medicare or can adjust fees based on a sliding scale to help make their services more affordable.

SUMMARY
A vegan diet seems to improve symptoms of depression for some people but worsen them for others. If you’re considering giving a vegan diet a try, make sure it’s well-planned so you don’t experience any nutrient deficiencies.

Some studies report that people eating a vegetarian or vegan diet may have an increased risk of depression and other mental illnesses.

For example, research has found an association between diets that eliminate entire food groups, including vegetarian and vegan diets, with eating disorders like orthorexia nervosa and anorexia nervosa (18, 19, 20).

Heads up

Trying to “do it right” when it comes to nutrition may feel tempting, but it can backfire.

If you are preoccupied with food or your weight, feel guilt surrounding your food choices, or routinely engage in restrictive diets, consider reaching out for support. These behaviors may indicate a disordered relationship with food or an eating disorder.

Disordered eating and eating disorders can affect anyone, regardless of gender identity, race, age, socioeconomic status, body size, or other identities.

They can be caused by any combination of biological, social, cultural, and environmental factors — not just by exposure to diet culture.

Feel empowered to talk with a qualified healthcare professional, such as a registered dietitian, if you’re struggling.

You can also chat, call, or text anonymously with trained volunteers at the National Eating Disorders Association helpline for free or explore the organization’s free and low cost resources.

However, others find either no change in risk or a lower risk of depression when eating a vegetarian or vegan diet (1).

Experts believe that the lack of consensus in the study findings can be explained by various factors. For instance, it’s possible that people with an already existing mental health issue may be more likely to try a vegan diet as a way to reduce their symptoms.

Another possibility is that people with depression have personality factors that may make them more likely to empathize with animals. As a result, they may stop eating meat and other animal products to live in accordance with their personal ethics (21).

The nutrient content of the diet may be yet another factor to consider.

For instance, omega-3s, choline, vitamins B-6 and B-12, and folate — as well as certain specific animo acids — are necessary to produce serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Those are three neurotransmitters (your body’s chemical messengers) that help regulate mood (1).

A well-planned vegan diet can provide enough of all of these nutrients. However, a poorly-planned one may lack sufficient amounts of the nutrients required for optimal brain functioning (22).

Most of the current studies don’t mention the participants’ nutrient status or the composition of the vegan diet they ate. Therefore, we need studies that are better designed before we can make strong conclusions.

Until more is known, people with depression who wish to try a vegan diet should consider reaching out to a RD specializing in plant-based diets to ensure that they meet all of their nutrient needs.

And remember, diet changes aren’t proven to cure mental health conditions, so feel empowered to reach out to a healthcare professional for additional support.

SUMMARY
It’s unclear whether a well-planned vegan diet contributes to depression. If you have depressive symptoms and wish to try a vegan diet, it’s especially important to speak with a dietitian to make sure it is well-planned to prevent nutrient deficiencies.

Experts suggest that choline, vitamins B-6 and B-12, and folate, as well as certain amino acids, are essential for your body to produce sufficient amounts of the neurotransmitters needed to regulate your mood (1).

Long-chain omega-3s also appear to help regulate dopamine and serotonin levels, which is why they are believed to help decrease symptoms of both depression and anxiety (1).

A vegan diet tends to be lower in some of these nutrients — particularly vitamin B-12 and long-chain omega-3s (1).

Therefore, vegans should take special attention to ensure a sufficient intake of these nutrients, either through fortified foods or supplements.

Foods typically fortified in vitamin B-12 include plant milks, breakfast cereals, nutritional yeast, and certain mock meats (23).

Vegan foods that are naturally rich in long-chain omega-3s are limited to algae and algae oil. However, you may help your body produce slightly more of these long-chain omega-3s by eating foods rich in alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), such as:

chia seeds
flaxseeds
walnuts
hemp seeds

That said, your body’s ability to convert ALA to long-chain omega-3s appears to be limited. Therefore, an algae oil supplement may also be beneficial (24).

It’s also worth remembering that high quality diets, regardless of the type, were the ones linked to a lower risk of depression (4).

Not all vegan diets are equally high in quality. To maximize your benefits, try favoring whole or minimally-processed plant foods over ultra-processed ones, such as meat and cheese substitutes, sweets, and pre-packaged vegan meals or snacks.

And always keep in mind that your diet isn’t the only factor playing a role in depression. Therefore, it’s important to explore all of the treatment avenues available to you together with a qualified mental health professional.

SUMMARY
To reduce your risk of depression on a vegan diet, it’s worth making sure your diet is made up mostly of whole and minimally-processed plant foods. It should also include fortified foods or supplements.

The relationship between veganism and depression is currently unclear. A vegan diet sometimes appears helpful at reducing symptoms of depression, but other times seems linked to a higher risk of depression.

If you’re experiencing depression and are curious about giving a vegan diet a try, consider one that prioritizes minimally-processed plant foods and provides sufficient amounts of all essential nutrients, including vitamin B12 and long-chain omega-3s.

You may need to take supplements or choose fortified foods to make sure you consume enough of the nutrients that support brain health and mood regulation, as vegan diets can lack them.

Reaching out to an RD to ensure that your vegan diet is well-planned and meets all of your nutrient needs can be helpful.

If you’ve made changes to your diet and are still not feeling better or if your symptoms are severe and affecting your day-to-day life, make sure to discuss other options, including medication, with a qualified mental healthcare provider.

Just one thing

Try this today: If you’re new to a vegan diet but cannot afford to book an appointment with a registered dietitian, I suggest you check out the Vegan Society. It’s a great tool to help you get started and includes free resources created by RDs specializing in a vegan diet.

90,000 Vegetarianism and depression. How does giving up meat affect mental health? - CMT Scientific approach

Translator: Tatyana Arkharova

Editor: Veronika Fig.

Source: Tailor & Francis Online

In a rather ancient story, originally related to ethics or religion. Nevertheless, the practice of refusing meat as something unhealthy arose relatively recently - at the end of 19and early 20th centuries. Given that nutritional science was in its infancy a century ago, the very first arguments for vegetarianism were formulated on the basis of religious and moral sentiments rather than empirical evidence.

But there is more and more research in the field of nutrition and human diseases, and the connection of vegetarianism with human health has also been studied from a scientific point of view.

Effects on physical and mental health

Over the past few decades, a large number of studies have been conducted on the effects of vegetarianism on human health, and conclusions are often contradictory . For example, it is controversial that many animal products, such as red meat (beef or lamb), are rich in important nutrients and biologically active substances, but at the same time, many studies show the benefits of avoiding meat for the prevention or treatment of diseases.

As a result, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics stated in 2016 that "balanced vegetarian and vegan diets are healthy and may be useful in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases."

Some studies indicate that vegetarians may have a higher life expectancy, but several other reports show no difference in mortality. Which again indicates the inconsistency and ambiguity of the data. There is an opinion that even if there is a decrease in mortality among vegetarians, this is not due to the rejection of meat, but to other factors - lifestyle, economic and social factors, physical activity, refusal of alcohol, drugs or smoking.

Additional: see Boris Tsatsoulina's detailed analysis of the longer or shorter life expectancy of vegetarians and vegans.

There is also a negative impact of vegetarianism and veganism on the physical health of people. Research shows that people who cut out meat or other animal products can suffer from nutritional deficiencies—vitamins B12 and D, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium, iron, and zinc—that can be detrimental to health.

There is also growing evidence that not eating meat is associated with mental health problems and higher risks of psychological problems. Compared to people who eat meat (let's call them "meat eaters"), vegetarians are more likely to suffer from severe depression or an anxiety disorder, they are more prone to suicide and self-harm. But the evidence linking vegetarianism to mental health problems is mixed. In 2010 and 2015, researchers found that vegetarians were healthier than meat eaters in some aspects of their mental health scores.

In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that mental illness is the leading cause of disability worldwide and has a major impact on the likelihood of cardiovascular disease (the world's leading cause of death). WHO researchers estimate that more than 300 million people suffer from depression (4.4% of the population) and more than 260 million people (3.6% of the population) from anxiety . These estimates reflect a significant increase in the number of people living with mental disorders and illnesses over the past two decades.

Considering the increase in the number of people with mental disorders and the popularization of vegetarianism, it is important to determine the relationship between the refusal to eat meat and psychological health.

Study

Five large online databases (PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL Plus, Medline, Cochrane Library) were used to identify associations, searching for studies on the mental health of vegetarians and meat eaters using keywords. The search included articles published before March 2019of the year.

Main Findings

Of the 18 selected studies, 14 examined depression, anxiety, or related symptoms. 7 out of 14 studies found 90,007 90,008 higher prevalence or risk of these psychiatric problems in participants who did not eat meat, 3 studies found no difference among participant groups, 2 studies found results inconsistent (e.g. higher rates were only among women ). Two out of 14 studies found higher prevalence or risks among meat eaters.

4 of the highest quality studies found that the prevalence and risk of depression or anxiety (or related symptoms) were significantly higher in participants who avoided eating meat. The 5 lowest quality studies showed either higher risks of depression and anxiety in those who eat meat or found no difference between the groups.

A 2012 study found that the prevalence of depression in vegetarians over periods of 1 month, 12 months and lifetime was estimated at 7. 4%, 24.1% and 35.2%. Meat-eaters had lower figures - 6.3%, 11.9% and 19.1%.

The prevalence of anxiety disorders in vegetarians over periods of 1 month, 12 months and lifetime was 20.4%, 31.5% and 31.5%. As in the case of depression rates, the prevalence of this mental disorder in meat eaters was lower - 10.7%, 17.0% and 18.4%.

The largest study by Matta and colleagues in 2018 found that in a sample of 90,380 people, 28.4% of vegetarians had symptoms of depression and only 16.2% of meat eaters.

Self-harm, mood and stress levels:

A 2007 study found that the prevalence of intentional self-harm was three times higher in vegetarians (10% versus 3.1%). Similarly, in a large 2001 sample of 4,746 adolescents, suicide attempts were found to be more than twice as likely among those who abstained from eating meat (18.3% versus 8.6%). Thoughts of suicide were also more common (34.7% versus 24.9%%).

A 2015 study by Beezhold found that those who stopped eating meat reported better mood and less stress. In 2012, Beezhold and Johnston conducted an RCT, and their results showed that limiting the consumption of meat, fish, and poultry improved participants' mood in the short term.

Findings

High quality studies have shown that meat avoidance was associated with greater risk or the prevalence of depression, anxiety, and self-harm. Also avoiding meat can be a behavioral marker that may indicate mental health problems.

Additional: read this article about the diets of the future and the opinion of scientists on this topic.

How a vegan diet affects intelligence and brain development

Zaria Gorvette

BBC Future

February 1, 2020

Image copyright Getty Images

Vegan diets are low in (and in some cases completely devoid of) important brain nutrients. Does this affect the ability of vegans to think?

The idea that avoiding meat is bad for our brains is intuitive. Yes, anthropologists have been arguing over the years about exactly how our distant ancestors ate, but many scientists believe that it took a lot of bones to suck on the development of such a unique organ as our brain.

Some even believe that it was meat that made us human.

One of the reasons they base their argument is that the mind costs us dearly: the brain consumes about 20% of all daily calories, although its weight is only 2% of our body weight.

And where is the easiest place to find that unimaginable variety of fats, amino acids, vitamins and minerals that this fastidious body needs? Of course, in the meat of animals that have already collected this whole set for us!

Although it is hard to imagine that our ancestors abandoned meat in favor of turnips, today the picture is quite different.

Vegans and vegetarians are at greater risk of stroke than meat eaters

"Back to the roots": why I stopped being a vegan

"Vegans called me a killer": British farmers complain about bullying

Vegan animals. Why more and more dogs and cats stop eating meat

According to the latest statistics, there are now about 375 million vegetarians on the planet. In the West, veganism has shed the hippie stigma and become one of the fastest growing trends of the new millennium (for example, in the US, the number of vegans grew by 600% between 2014 and 2017).

Meantime, eating without meat in India has been quite common since the 6th century BC.

Image copyright, Getty Images
Image caption,
Some even try to make their pets vegetarian. Opponents accuse them of cruelty to animals

On the one hand, recent concern about nutritional deficiencies in plant-based diets has led to articles with scary headlines, such as warnings that a vegan diet can stunt brain development. and cause irreparable damage to the human nervous system.

In 2016, experts from the German Nutrition Society categorically stated that a vegan diet is not recommended for children, pregnant or lactating women and adolescents. A follow-up study in 2018 confirmed this claim.

In Belgium, forcing children to eat vegan can put you in jail.

But, on the other hand, if abstaining from meat consumption really affected the human brain, we would probably already notice this?

So is veganism really damaging to our intellect, or are we just afraid of something we don't know much about?

Ideally, to test the effects of a vegan diet on the brain, one would take a randomly selected group of people and ask half of them to stop eating animal products. And see what happens. But no such study has yet been carried out.

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The only study even remotely close to perfect was in Kenya, where 555 schoolchildren were fed the following pattern: one-third meat soup, one-third milk soup, and one-third soup with vegetable oil or no soup at all. And so for seven school years.

Subjects were tested before and after the experiment to compare the intelligence of the three groups. It is worth noting that due to economic difficulties in the country, most of the children before the start of the experiment were de facto vegetarians.

To the researchers' surprise, tests showed that children who were given meat soup every day were significantly more intelligent than their peers by the end of the study. In addition, their arithmetic ability was the best among the three groups, but comparable to children who were given vegetable oil soup.

Of course, more research is needed to make sure this is how it all works. In addition, it is not known whether this will be the case for children from developed countries.

However, this raises intriguing questions, to say the least, about whether veganism can hold children back.

In fact, there are several important brain nutrients that are simply not found in plants and mushrooms.

Creatine, carnosine, taurine, omega-3, heme iron, and vitamins B12 and D3 are normally found only in foods made from animal products (although they may be synthesized in the laboratory or extracted from such non-animal products, like algae, bacteria or lichen, and made into food additives).

Some others can be found in vegan foods, but in minuscule amounts: for example, to get the minimum amount of vitamin B6 (1. 3 mg) needed each day from one of the richest plant sources, potatoes, you need to eat about 750 grams of it .

For potato lovers this might be nice, but still not very practical.

Image copyright, Getty Images
Image caption,
On a vegan diet, you need to eat 750 grams of potatoes per day to reach the minimum recommended vitamin B6 intake - unless you are also getting it from other sources

Although our body is able to create some of these essential substances from other ingredients in our food, it is not capable of fully meeting all needs.

It turned out that in the body of vegetarians and vegans - a reduced level of all the nutrients listed above. And in some cases, such a deficit is not an exception, but the norm.

It is currently a mystery to us how this deficiency affects the lives of vegans. But some recent research offers us some clues.

"I believe there are a number of direct implications of the current popularity of plant-based diets," says Taylor Wallis, dietitian and CEO of nutrition consultancy Think Healthy Group.

"It's not that plant foods are inherently bad, they're not. But I think we're not educating people enough that some nutrients are found primarily in animal foods."

One of the most well-known problems for vegans is getting enough vitamin B12, which is found only in animal products such as eggs and meat.

Other species get it from bacteria that live in their digestive system or in their excrement - they either ingest it directly or eat their own feces, which is unfortunately (or fortunately - depending on the point of view) impossible for humans.

Image copyright, Getty Images
Photo caption,
At first glance, vegans seem to have a varied diet. But the brain doesn't get everything it needs from it.

To understand how important vitamin B12 is for the brain, look at what happens when we don't get enough of it. For children, B12 deficiency can have serious consequences.

"There have been some tragic cases where a child's brain didn't develop properly because the parents were ill-informed vegans," says Benton.

In one case, the child could not sit, could not smile. In another case, the children simply fell into a coma.

At an older age, the amount of B12 in a person's blood is directly related to his IQ, intelligence quotient.

In old age, one study found that the brains of people with low levels of B12 are six times more likely to shrink than those without it.

And yet, low B12 levels are common among vegans. One British study found that half of the vegans surveyed were deficient.

This problem is endemic in parts of India, possibly due to the prevalence of vegetarianism there.

Iron is another ingredient rare in typical vegan diets. Among other things, it plays an important role in mental development and is necessary for maintaining brain health throughout life.

For example, one 2007 study found that women taking iron supplements led to a significant (five to sevenfold) increase in their intellectual abilities.

Image copyright, Getty Images
Image caption,
It's important for vegans to take supplements to compensate for their lack of nutrients from animal products, experts say

It's surprisingly easy to slip into an iron deficiency. Up to 2 billion people are thought to experience it, making it the most common nutrient deficiency worldwide.

Vegans are particularly susceptible, as heme iron, which is most easily absorbed by the body, can only be found in animal proteins.

A German study found that 40% of vegans surveyed by scientists consumed less than the recommended daily allowance of such iron.

Vegans are also often deficient in vitamin D3, omega-3 fatty acids, selenium, iodine and folic acid.

Although our bodies produce vitamin D3 when exposed to direct sunlight, it does not compensate vegans for the amount they lack.

During the winter months, British omnivores have nearly 40% more vitamin D3 in their blood than vegans.

Of course, some of these substances can be obtained in the form of dietary supplements. However, others are so obscure that vegans are unlikely to have even heard of them, let alone understand what exactly their body lacks.

For example, taurine. This enigmatic amino acid is one of the most abundant in our brains, where it is thought to underlie several important processes, such as regulating the number of neurons.

It is often added to coffee energy drinks because of the (probably false) belief that it gives the brain an immediate cognitive boost.

Although a small amount of taurine is found in some dairy products, its main source is meat and seafood.

"Some species have the ability to produce enough taurine in the body," says Yang Yen Wu, a biomedical scientist at Florida Atlantic University (USA). "But humans are almost unable to do this."

Vegans tend to have less taurine for this reason. So far, no one has yet studied how this affects their cognitive abilities.

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Image caption,
A vegan diet is a kind of self-experimentation

But based on what we know about the role of taurine in the brain, Wu recommends that vegans take taurine tablets - after all vegetables simply do not have this substance.

In fact, our lack of knowledge about exactly what our brain needs for health can be a big problem for vegans. After all, it is difficult to add to your diet something that scientists have not yet discovered.

"There are so many unknowns," says Nathan Kofnas, a biologist at the University of Oxford. You are risking yourself."

Take choline: the brain produces acetylcholine, which is needed for many tasks, including the transmission of information between nerve cells. It is the most important substance for our ability to think (even insects have it in their tiny brains), and the body cannot produce enough of it on its own.

But it's a very poorly researched nutrient, Wallis says. "We only began to consider it important (a food-derived element) only in the late 1990s."

Some vegan foods contain some choline, but the main sources are eggs, beef and seafood.

In fact, even on a normal diet, 90% of Americans don't get enough of it. According to an unpublished study by Wallis, vegetarians consume it in the least amount of any demographic group, and this should be a concern, the scientist said.

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Image caption,
Vegans can get their protein from alternative sources like soy, but soy doesn't have choline or creatine

Otherwise, we know even less. For example, creatine is a white loose substance that can often be found in fitness shakes. Its natural function in the body is to supply our cells with energy, which is why it is respected by the regulars of fitness clubs.

But it is also important for the brain. Studies show that increasing its intake has a number of benefits - such as reduced mental fatigue and improved memory recognition. Not so long ago, creatine began to be used as a "pills for the mind."

Neither vegetables nor mushrooms contain creatine - so this is a problem for vegans and vegetarians: they are known to lack creatine in their bodies.

Scientists wondered if creatine deficiency would lead to slower development in humans. In one study, they tested how the intellectual abilities of vegetarians and those who eat everything changed five days after they started taking supplements.

"We found that vegetarians especially benefited," says David Benton of Swansea University, who led the study.

As for the omnivores, little has changed. And this may indicate that they had enough creatine in their brains before.

However, Caroline Rey, who led the other study, says there is not yet enough evidence to support the need for creatine supplementation. This can lead to unforeseen consequences - for example, to reduce the ability of the brain to produce this substance itself.

"I've been suggesting for a long time that taking creatine might be helpful in preparing for exams, but it would be interesting to find out what happens to people after they stop taking it - whether their intellectual abilities are inhibited."

Finally, the brain basically creates its own supply of creatine, so it's unclear if vegans really need extra creatine.

Food-based creatine may only be used by the brain in extreme cases, such as stress.

However, Kofnas is concerned about the potential for creatine deficiency in vegans.

"It can make a big difference in your life," he says, referring to the intellectual advances of vegans taking creatine supplements.

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Image caption,
Creatine, carnosine, taurine, omega-3s, heme iron, and vitamins B12 and D3 are normally only found in animal products

What's the verdict?

"I think more research is needed on the health and nutrition of vegans," says Heather Russell, a nutritionist at the Vegan Society, a British charity. who are well suited to a vegan diet."

Brain and cardiovascular health are inextricably linked, and vegans tend to have healthier hearts.

"I tell people all the time, if you want to go vegan or vegetarian, that's fine," says Wallis. to understand what their brain needs."

Moreover, some of the nutrients that vegans lack (choline, creatine, taurine and carnosine) must be taken in fairly large amounts - one tablet is not enough here.

Benton agrees. “I am sure that if you are knowledgeable, careful and committed to healthy eating, if your personality fits this hobby, then it is quite possible to be a vegan without harm to health,” he says. “But it is also clear that you may encounter nutritionally deficient."

Cofnas has a tougher take on this. While vegans can take supplements, it's unrealistic to expect all of them to do so, he says.

On this basis, he finds the current trend towards a plant-based diet disturbing, although he is sympathetic to the arguments in favor of such a diet.
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