Your Veggie Burger May Be Making You Blue

Feeling Blue: Plant-based diets have many health and environmental benefits, but recent research has found eating certain types of plant-based meat alternatives (PBMAs), like veggie burgers and faux chicken, is tied to a higher risk of depression. 

The Study: The study included data from 3,342 participants from the UK Biobank project, all of whom were vegan, vegetarian, or pescatarian. Compared to participants who never ate PBMAs, PBMA consumers had a 42% higher risk of depression. Both groups’ intake of fat, sodium, and saturated fat were virtually the same. The PBMA group also had slightly increased C-reactive protein (CRP) — a biomarker that’s linked to inflammation and immune response — which could be a possible explanation for the increased depression risk.

The Takeaway: The findings applied only to ultra-processed meat alternatives — not to plant-based diets overall or minimally processed plant proteins, like tofu, beans, tempeh, and lentils. Most of the participants were women and white, so it wasn’t a thoroughly representative sample.

Keep in Mind: Just like fast-food fried chicken sandwiches aren’t as healthy as lean chicken breast, eating ultra-processed PBMAs aren’t as good as eating whole foods. Some PBMAs are OK once in a while, but focus on minimally processed whole foods (which is true for all diets).