Sadhguru on the link between mental health and food...

[ajay0]

An insightful article by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev on the link between mental health and food...

The Link Between Food and Mental Health

Meat is a good food to survive if you are out in the desert or the jungle. If you are lost somewhere, a piece of meat will keep you going, because it provides concentrated nourishment. But it should not be a daily food that you eat when there are other choices.

There are many ways to look at this. One thing is animals have the intelligence to know in the last few moments that they are going to get killed, no matter how cunningly or how scientifically you do it. Any animal that has the capacity to express some kind of emotion will always grasp when it is going to be killed.

Suppose all of you come to know right now that at the end of this day, you are going to get slaughtered. Imagine the struggle that you would go through, the burst of chemical reactions within you. An animal goes through at least some fraction of that. This means when you kill an animal, the negative acids and whatever other chemicals are in the meat. When you consume the meat, it creates unnecessary levels of mental fluctuations.

If you put people who are on antidepressants on a conscious vegetarian diet, in about three months’ time, most of them will not need their medication anymore. We have seen this with many people who have come to the Isha Yoga Center.~ Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev

Religious philosophies and Ayurvedic medical philosophies in India have also linked fresh vegetarian food with the quality of Sattva. Sattva in turn is associated with happiness, peace, harmony, creativity, and positivity.

Nonvegetarian food on the other hand is associated with the qualities of Rajas and Tamas, which in turn are qualities associated with mental agitation and restlesness, depression and sadness, respectively.


In modern times, scientific research has also shown a correlation between a vegetarian diet and improved mental health and well-being.


Five surprising benefits of a plant-based diet

Diet choices can have a major impact on mood and mental health, and there is a very good reason for this. Diet affects the health of our gut bacteria, which produce many of the hormones active in the brain. Gut bacteria thrive on fibre, which is only found in whole plant foods. So it is no surprise to find that a plant-based diet can benefit mental health.

In one US study conducted at a large insurance company, participants who were overweight or had a history of type 2 diabetes were either prescribed a low-fat vegan diet or asked to continue their usual diet for 18 weeks. The results showed a significant improvement in mental health, wellbeing and work productivity in those on the vegan diet, as well as lower levels of depression and anxiety.

 

[Martin]

I like spicy food. Are there any views on the effects of that preference?

 

[Vinayaka]

I like spicy food. Are there any views on the effects of that preference?

Spices are considered rajasic, the type of food that gives energy, and stimulates. If you google, rajasic, tamasic, and sattvic, you'll get how foods are classified in ayurvedic diets. Here's one on rajasic foods.

Rajasic foods and their benefits

 

[Sirona]

While I normally respect the opinion of religious authorities, in this case I think it should be better left to doctors. If curing mental ailments could be achieved by something as simple as a plant-based diet, then we would see the cases of these ailments reducing or disappearing. I think it is dangerous to attribute knowledge of a particular subject to authorities simply because they have knowledge of a completely different subject. This opens the door to quackery.

10 Foods That Boost Mental Health | ICANotes Behavioral Health EHR

 

[JustGeorge]

Has anyone here personally experienced a change in mental health/outlook after making a change to their diet?

Just curious.

 

[ajay0]

10 Foods That Boost Mental Health | ICANotes Behavioral Health EHR

A plant-based diet can induce calmness in a person. Seratonin can be increased by beans, soy, oats, rice and not just chicken alone.

Most chickens in farms are now treated with artificial growth boosting chemicals, so that they grow fast in a short span of time. However this has led to health issues and abnormalities with the chicken as well which is well documented, and I know of cases where abnormalities have been found in people who had ingested such nonvegetarian food.

My cousin who is an unabashed nonvegetarian, still told me how young girls adhering to nonvegetarianism were attaining menstruation at a much younger age in a region where he lived, and he blamed this issue on the artifical agents which chickens were treated to, for making a faster buck.

Research has also shown a correlation between higher incidences of cancer, cardiovascular diseases with nonvegetarian diet. Both these spectrum of diseases have the highest casualty rates in the west and globally too.

While I normally respect the opinion of religious authorities, in this case I think it should be better left to doctors. If curing mental ailments could be achieved by something as simple as a plant-based diet, then we would see the cases of these ailments reducing or disappearing.

There are scientific evidences to prove that a vegan diet has brought about significant changes in physical and mental health for the better. I have stated this in the op too. Here's more...


16-Week Vegan Diet Can Do Wonders for Gut Microbiome

Should you go vegan for the sake of your gut?

Food and Mood: Eating Plants to Fight the Blues

Gut Bacteria

9 Facts On Gut Bacteria And Mental Health, Probiotics And Depression


However, I stress that those who opt for a vegan or vegetarian diet, should consult with their dietitians or doctors to ensure a balanced vegan/vegetarian diet with all the necessary nutrients needed.

It is possible that many nonvegetarians become vegetarian due to consideration of ethical reasons of nonviolence and compassion, but fail to adhere to a proper vegan/vegetarian diet with all the necessary nutrients required for proper health carelessly. This should be avoided and there is no excuse for doing one's due diligence in this regard. This can also potentially harm the noble cause that one is advocating for as well.

Vegetarian diet tend to be lower than non-vegetarian foods in iron, and this can lead to fatigue. By ensuring foods rich in iron and vitamin c ( that felicitates absorption of iron) vegans/vegetarians can easily overcome any potential issues in this regard.

How to Increase the Absorption of Iron From Foods

21 Vegetarian Foods That Are Loaded With Iron

 

[SalixIncendium]

Has anyone here personally experienced a change in mental health/outlook after making a change to their diet?

Just curious.

For me, physical changes were the most noticeable. But as my blood pressure decreased and I felt more energy, my anxiety and overall tension decreased. But I can’t be certain if it was the elimination of flesh from my diet that brought about the changes in my anxiety/tension levels or if it was a result of the physical changes.

But the biggest mental change was the joyful feeling that I was no longer contributing to the killing of animals for sustenance.

 

[Twilight Hue]

But the biggest mental change was the joyful feeling that I was no longer contributing to the killing of animals for sustenance.

Its why I've such an excitement for cultured meats.

 

[JustGeorge]

For me, physical changes were the most noticeable. But as my blood pressure decreased and I felt more energy, my anxiety and overall tension decreased. But I can’t be certain if it was the elimination of flesh from my diet that brought about the changes in my anxiety/tension levels or if it was a result of the physical changes.

But the biggest mental change was the joyful feeling that I was no longer contributing to the killing of animals for sustenance.

I went vegetarian when I was so young, I don't recall a lot of immediate changes. I was only 12. I recall that same sense of relief, though, that no one died for my dinner. Which essentially was why I did it. Dinner had made me upset(sometimes to the point of tears) for as long as I could remember, and laying that aside was awesome. I got grounded for awhile, but eventually my parents caved...

I've gotten over any childhood issues I may have had with them, but I still question that one. "Why did you make me eat like that for so long? I was so disturbed! Why was it such a big deal?" Mom doesn't really know, dad just said because eating meat was just what people do, and he couldn't accept it at first. Ah well.

I noticed the biggest change with veganism(healthwise), but I was not able to sustain that diet once I started feeding a family. I can't say it helped my mental health, but that may be due to outside circumstances.

 

[Vinayaka]

However, I stress that those who opt for a vegan or vegetarian diet, should consult with their dietitians or doctors to ensure a balanced vegan/vegetarian diet with all the necessary nutrients needed.

Personally, I think everyone should be more aware of nutrition. Rickets and scurvy were both real things, and still are.