Meat on the Mind: Associations Between Meat Consumption and Mental Health

Abstract

The purpose of this non-experimental study was to explore patterns of association between meat consumption frequency and mental health in a convenience sample of 240 patients at a general practice/primary care acupuncture and Chinese medicine clinic in Northwest Arkansas, United States. Data were obtained from intake forms with questions about diet and mental health completed by the clinic’s patients. An analysis of the responses revealed interesting patterns of association between meat consumption frequency and some mental health issues, including depression, suicide, memory, and susceptibility to stress. The analysis, however, did not show patterns of association between frequency of meat consumption and anxiety, temper, insomnia, or disturbed sleep.