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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition, Psychology and Brain Health
Volume 11 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2024.1389000

Using Genetic Variations to Reveal the Complex Relationships between Vegetarianism and Well-Being, Depressive Symptoms and Neuroticism

Provisionally accepted
Ke Chen Ke Chen 1,2Yuan Wen Yuan Wen 3Zhendi Shu Zhendi Shu 1*
  • 1 Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Rehabilitation Medicine Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
  • 2 School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China
  • 3 Department of Critical Care Medicine, Wuhan Jinyintan Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background: The relationship between vegetarianism and mental well-being remains a debated topic in traditional observational studies. Recent studies have revealed the genetic factors in vegetarianism. We aimed to use genetic variations to explore the potential causal relationships between vegetarianism and mental well-being, offering insights from a new perspective. Methods: We conducted the inverse variance weighted approach as primary analysis to explore the bidirectional genetic associations between vegetarianism (N = 442,589) and depressive symptoms (N = 180,866), neuroticism (N= 170,910), and subjective well-being (N = 298,420). The analysis used the summary data from the largest genome-wide association studies (GWAS). We also performed sensitivity analyses to ensure the robustness of the findings, accounting for potential heterogeneity and pleiotropy. Results: Genetically predicted vegetarianism showed positive causal relationships with depressive symptoms (odds ratio [OR], 3.26; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.03–10.31; p = 0.044) and neuroticism (OR, 6.72; 95% CI, 2.29-19.74; p = 5.31×10-4), as well as a negative causal relationship with subjective well-being (OR, 0.20; 95% CI, 0.05–0.77; p = 0.019). Additionally, depressive symptoms were found to have a causal influence on vegetarianism (OR, 1.01; 95% CI, 1.00–1.02; p = 6.87×10-3). No significant heterogeneity or pleiotropy was detected. Conclusions: Vegetarianism is causally correlated with negative mental well-being, reflected in an increased risk of depressive symptoms and neuroticism, as well as lower subjective well-being. Further research should explore the underlying mechanisms in broader populations.

    Keywords: vegetarianism, Depression symptoms, neuroticism, Subjective well-being, Mental Health

    Received: 20 Feb 2024; Accepted: 02 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Chen, Wen and Shu. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Zhendi Shu, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Rehabilitation Medicine Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang Province, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.