Study Links Vegetarian Diet In Men To Depression Symptoms

U.S. and British researchers report that data collected from 9,668 adult male partners of pregnant women in a longitudinal study showed that vegetarian men are more likely to report “significant depressive symptoms.” Overall, the NIH-University of Bristol researchers found male vegetarians had higher depression scores than non-vegetarians after adjusting for an array of socioeconomic factors. Nutritional deficiencies (e.g., in cobalamin, iron, vitamin B12) could explain the findings. Other potential contributors include increased intake of omega-6 fatty acids, and higher blood levels of phytoestrogens from soy or vegetable-based foods.