Being a vegetarain and anxiety

[miniminx]

Does anyone think that there could be a connection anywhere along the line......ie conversion of protein to serotonin etc....?

[Julianne]

Hi tis-me,

I am not absolutely certain what your question is. It seems you are questioning if the type of protein you eat is going to affect your medication?
You say you are a vegetarian so I assume you eat dairy and egg, some veggies do some don't, vegans don't eat any animal of any kind. I am a vegan.
There is no evidence to suggest that eating any kind of protein causes changes to the seratonin level in the brain, so you can discount that.
Just eat your normal vegetarian diet and ensure it contains protein, carbo and the minerals including vitamin B12 (vital) and you should be fine.

[Gopala]

Hi there

Im a veggie too, i have heard that when an animal is killed, due to the extreme stress its under (in the slaughterhouse) a huge amount of adrenalin is produced. Thus when someone eats meat they are also eating all the adrenalin of the dead animal which in turn makes people even more fearful etc. I would say if anything eating a vegetarian diet will reduce your anxiety not add to it!

[monika]

Hi there

Im a veggie too, i have heard that when an animal is killed, due to the extreme stress its under (in the slaughterhouse) a huge amount of adrenalin is produced. Thus when someone eats meat they are also eating all the adrenalin of the dead animal which in turn makes people even more fearful etc. I would say if anything eating a vegetarian diet will reduce your anxiety not add to it!

I don't think after an animal is killed that it's epinephrine would sustain itself through processing, packaging, freezing, cooking or whatever to actually effect you. That's pretty far fetched IMHO.

However, a vegetarian can increase anxiety levels. Vegetarians are often deficient in B12 and other essential vitamins and minerals, and these deficiencies are linked to higher anxiety levels. Do some research on it! :yesyes:

As for protein and serotonin? There is definitely something to it. We require amino acids, such as tryptophan that we get from proteins to make the neurotransmitter serotonin and low levels of serotonin are linked to depression. Now that does not mean all vegetarians are going to be low in this, and although meat does have high tryptophan levels you can still get the proper intake if you are planning your meals right and making sure you are getting all the protein, vitamins and minerals that you need. That being said, there are also discrepancies and debates as to whether or not dietary tryptophan actually even has an effect on serotonin levels. Anyways, worth looking into though! Hope this helped

Monika

[Gopala]

Hi Monica

Hope all is well,

My post about meat and how eating it can affect our mind etc is not simply my opinion. I Just read this on google - there is loads of info on there. Rather than being far fetched it makes a lot of sense.

"If you’ve ever visited a slaughterhouse you will see and sense the fear that these poor creatures experience just before they are killed. Physiologically, this fear pumps the medulla of their adrenal glands, producing epinephrine or what’s commonly called “adrenaline.” Epinephrine is a neurotransmitter, stimulating energy through the nervous system into the tissues of the body. This is mostly what gives protein-eaters a heightened sense of energy.

However, after years of eating meat full of adrenaline, your adrenal glands become weakened and lazy at producing their own neurotransmitters. This begins to lower your blood pressure. As we begin to pass our adrenal weaknesses down genetically, future generations may see multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Addison’s Disease, and other neurological weaknesses develop from a chronic lack of neurotransmitters.

High protein diets contain excessive amounts of epinephrine (adrenaline) and thereby create aggression, anger and adrenal failure in humans who consume these foods.



You are what you eat :yesyes:

[eight days a week]

My post about meat and how eating it can affect our mind etc is not simply my opinion. I Just read this on google - there is loads of info on there. ...

Unless you can post some coherent and respected source for such a point of view then I'm afraid it is just your opinion.

I can go off and google 'vegetarianism' and 'anxiety' and come back with meaningless quotes that 'prove' your vegetarianism is the cause of all your problems if you like :whistles:

[mikewales]

Gopala, there is a huge difference between scientific fact, and what someone has made up as a theory, posted on google, and used to support their own argument.

If it were true about the adrenaline, then everyone who ever ate meat would get a surge of adrenaline when they ate it. There is no truth that eating meat makes people more aggresive or angry than vegetarians.

A poor diet and lack of vitamins 'may' make anxiety worse in some people, but I think its a bit of a stab in the dark to hope that changing your diet will get rid of your anxiety sadly

[Gopala]

Unless you can post some coherent and respected source for such a point of view then I'm afraid it is just your opinion.

I can go off and google 'vegetarianism' and 'anxiety' and come back with meaningless quotes that 'prove' your vegetarianism is the cause of all your problems if you like :whistles:

Ouch eight days a week - a bit harsh. This is a well known fact (maybe among the vegetarian community) - maybe your dinner made angry at me...im sorry that was a joke :)

[mikewales]

p.s. the person who came up with the quote you copied is a 'doctor' trying to push his book about non meat diets, so has a vested interest in finding as many ways as possible to make meat eating look bad for you.

[Gopala]

Gopala, there is a huge difference between scientific fact, and what someone has made up as a theory, posted on google, and used to support their own argument.

If it were true about the adrenaline, then everyone who ever ate meat would get a surge of adrenaline when they ate it. There is no truth that eating meat makes people more aggresive or angry than vegetarians.

A poor diet and lack of vitamins 'may' make anxiety worse in some people, but I think its a bit of a stab in the dark to hope that changing your diet will get rid of your anxiety sadly

Hi Mike and others - i seem to of opened a can of worms here lol. Im not suggesting for a moment being vegetarian will get rid of your anxiety. If that were true I wouldnt be on here. Anyway guys - respect to you all. I need friends on here - dont be mad at me. Wishing you all well.

---------- Post added at 20:19 ---------- Previous post was at 20:11 ----------


p.s. the person who came up with the quote you copied is a 'doctor' trying to push his book about non meat diets, so has a vested interest in finding as many ways as possible to make meat eating look bad for you.

Hey Mike

http://www.steadyhealth.com/articles/Hormones_In_Animals_And_Meat_Quality_a2217.html

I think this article explains it very well. Of course take it or leave it.
I respect your opinion and hope you can respect mine.

[mikewales]

I still wouldnt put any credence in that as the author is someone who has studied holistic nutrition and herbology, not a scientist or medical doctor who has anything to back up her article other than it being her personal opinion.

There is no problem with people having opinions, but when they are stated as medical facts ( not you, but the people who wrote those articles ) then it does need taking with a pinch of salt.

Sadly one of the downsides to the internet is anyone can post anything on there, and it gets taken as fact.

[eight days a week]

Ouch eight days a week - a bit harsh. This is a well known fact (maybe among the vegetarian community) - maybe your dinner made angry at me...im sorry that was a joke :)

Sorry - I didn't mean to be harsh :) But while I will always accept opinions, I will also always challenge opinions presented as 'facts'.

Best wishes :)

[Gopala]

Sorry - I didn't mean to be harsh :) But while I will always accept opinions, I will also always challenge opinions presented as 'facts'.

Best wishes :)

Thank you :hugs:at least i made your saturday night more fun -

[monika]

Hi Monica

Hope all is well,

My post about meat and how eating it can affect our mind etc is not simply my opinion. I Just read this on google - there is loads of info on there. Rather than being far fetched it makes a lot of sense.

"If you’ve ever visited a slaughterhouse you will see and sense the fear that these poor creatures experience just before they are killed. Physiologically, this fear pumps the medulla of their adrenal glands, producing epinephrine or what’s commonly called “adrenaline.” Epinephrine is a neurotransmitter, stimulating energy through the nervous system into the tissues of the body. This is mostly what gives protein-eaters a heightened sense of energy.

However, after years of eating meat full of adrenaline, your adrenal glands become weakened and lazy at producing their own neurotransmitters. This begins to lower your blood pressure. As we begin to pass our adrenal weaknesses down genetically, future generations may see multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Addison’s Disease, and other neurological weaknesses develop from a chronic lack of neurotransmitters.

High protein diets contain excessive amounts of epinephrine (adrenaline) and thereby create aggression, anger and adrenal failure in humans who consume these foods.



You are what you eat :yesyes:



Lol Gopala, you seem to be getting a lot of hate for this...and I can't say it's unfounded. There really is no scientific evidence to support this. Like really, meat-eaters develop adrenal fatigue because they eat meat all their lives and they take in too much adrenaline? There is nothing to back that up! This is all based on 'feeling' and biases about the discontent at the way animals are killed. There is no way that the adrenaline that is in the animal at the time they die could really affect us after it gets frozen and cooked. That neurotransmitter would experience deterioration and couldn't be processed by our bodies. Our bodies wouldn't respond to any injested adrenaline (if there is any) and this wouldn't cause our adrenal glands to become 'lazy'. To say this would cause multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Addison’s Disease is bizarre...

Can I also throw in that adrenal fatigue isn't even recognized as a a disorder by mainstream medicine. It is considered to be an 'alternative health' term. To say this would cause multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s, Addison’s Disease

The real problem with meat isn't the 'adrenaline'. It's the way that livestock is fed and the way it is grown that is contributing to an unhealthy society.

I respect your opinion, though I do not agree with it...

[mikewales]

Its not hate for Gopala :) I just question the motives behind people like those 'doctors' that post stuff like this on the web, with nothing to back it up, and it then gets taken as fact ( quite often when you delve a bit deeper you find their 'facts' are there to help sell their latest book / diet etc.. rather than being any sort of independent advice )

I think we should all question things when they dont come from reliable sources.

And obviously on this site, with people that suffer from many things like health anxiety, then posters do need to be careful when passing on advice that it is correct and has a basis in fact :)

[monika]

Lol I agree Mike. Not hate, just a friendly debate haha :yesyes: And well he isn't even a 'doctor' as you said, a holistic nutrition and herbologist...I can't find any credible studies to back up what he is saying.

[Carys]

Monika :emot-worship: Excellent, perfect sense.


I think we should all question things when they dont come from reliable sources.

And obviously on this site, with people that suffer from many things like health anxiety, then posters do need to be careful when passing on advice that it is correct and has a basis in fact :smile:

100% agree !

OOooooo tisme2006, are you ok and still there ? :roflmao: You clearly asked a very contentious question there, without knowing.

[committeddoxy]

Oh dear,

I feel an inclination to write an essay on statistics and the need to establish scientific significance before being able to claim a theory, but I'm not sure it will help. It might be more pertinent to point out the placebo effect and the importance of belief.

As an ex-farmers wife, who turned vegetarian when our dairy herd got mad-cows disease even though we grew the feed ourselves (it came in in the form of sheeps brains used to fill out the vitamin supplements we believed to be derived from fish meal!!) I would love for everyone to be more aware of animal husbandry issues.

There are slaughterhouses and then there are slaughterhouses. Excellent farmers still exist and greatly appreciate customers who appreciate their efforts at giving their livestock a good life and a humane death.

best wishes to all