# A vegetarian diet makes you sicker **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 8, 2014, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633 "2014-04-08T13:44:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/1 "2014-04-08T13:44:57Z")
…according to [a new study](http://www.realclearscience.com/journal_club/2014/04/04/study_finds_vegetarians_have_poorer_health_lower_quality_of_life_108583.html) that contradicts earlier findings. \*"The research, published in February in the journal PLoS ONE, surveyed 1,320 Austrians, evenly portioned to four different nutritional groups: a vegetarian diet, a carnivorous diet rich in fruits and vegetables, a carnivorous diet less rich in meat, and a carnivorous diet rich in meat. Subjects were matched based on age, sex, income, education, and occupation. All information was attained through face-to-face interviews. The results were bleak for vegetarians. “Overall, vegetarians are in a poorer state of health compared to the other dietary habit groups,” the authors reported. Vegetarians suffered from higher rates of allergies, cancer, anxiety, and depression. They were also vaccinated less often than all of the other groups, and visited the doctor for preventative check-ups less frequently than subjects eating a carnivorous diet rich in fruits and vegetables."\* Caveats: diets among study participants were self-reported, and there’s that correlation-causation thing to be careful about. For instance, mental illness was more than twice as prevalent among the vegetarians compared to the carnivores eating the most meat. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that going vegan makes you crazy - it could be that crazier people are drawn to vegetarianism. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/2 "2014-04-08T14:59:40Z")
So this is ONE study? I’m not disssing it since I don’t anything about how scientifically rigorous it was. But it could provide a data point for a larger meta-study. And right now I’m off to eat something with meat in it. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/3 "2014-04-08T15:12:09Z")
So, eating steak will remind you to get a check-up and a flu shot? Stupid vegetables, all they’ve ever reminded me about is what day to put the trash out. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/4 "2014-04-08T15:15:50Z")
A small study about the small percentage of vegetarians in the population could easily have skewed results. Considering that the information was gathered using face-to-face interviews you could assume that a significant percentage of those vegetarians eat meat. > [@Penny](#): > > I’m a vegetarian. Well, except for fish, and the occasional steak. I love steak! ---
**Author:** ![Taber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ac91a4/32.png) [@Taber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Taber)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/5 "2014-04-08T17:16:51Z")
The correlation-causation problem is a pretty big one in this study. If someone has a coronary and decides to go vegetarian to try to prevent another one, this study will find that vegetarians have a greater risk of coronaries. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/6 "2014-04-08T17:54:28Z")
The “fewer vaccinations” thing is telling. If they didn’t control for that, the study is “flawed” (that’s a technical term for “complete crap.”) ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/7 "2014-04-08T18:57:13Z")
> [@Sailboat](#): > > The “fewer vaccinations” thing is telling. If they didn’t control for that, the study is “flawed” (that’s a technical term for “complete crap.”) There’s a vaccine for mental illness? ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/8 "2014-04-08T19:09:27Z")
Yeah, I don’t see this as “Being a vegetarian makes you sicker” as much as “People who believe in woo and don’t go to doctors are more likely to be vegetarian.” ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/9 "2014-04-08T19:14:39Z")
> [@Taber](#): > > The correlation-causation problem is a pretty big one in this study. If someone has a coronary and decides to go vegetarian to try to prevent another one, this study will find that vegetarians have a greater risk of coronaries. If I were to suddenly go vegetarian, I know several people who would have an immediate coronary. The Dr, a dedicated meat eater. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/10 "2014-04-08T19:56:27Z")
PloS ONE isn’t exactly _JAMA_. It’s an open access journal that is funded by charging authors to publish their articles. I’m not a scientist, but I gather that pay-to-publish journals are not typically considered the best source of good science. The _Real Clear Science_ piece also concludes, “Even if the study wasn’t severely limited, it wouldn’t be enough to overturn prior evidence” and briefly discusses the articles published in other journals that find no ill effects of a vegetarian diet. Meh. ---
**Author:** ![monstro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba9def/32.png) [@monstro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monstro)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/11 "2014-04-08T20:07:24Z")
“Vegetarian” is way too broad. People who eat nothing but Cheetos and orange soda are just as “vegetarian” as a person who eats nothing but fruits and vegetables. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/12 "2014-04-08T20:12:18Z")
“Caveats: diets among study participants were self-reported” aka meaningless. “We’re doing a detailed study of ad hoc, volunteered information.” ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/13 "2014-04-08T20:29:31Z")
[nit pick] Diets that include plant material and meat is omnivorous\*. A carnivore eats only meat.[/nit pick] So, in my opinion, a group who doesn’t know the nomenclature of a field of study isn’t qualified to conduct said study. \*I am an omnivore. I would not survive as a plant eater. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/14 "2014-04-08T21:11:21Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > PloS ONE isn’t exactly _JAMA_. It’s an open access journal that is funded by charging authors to publish their articles. I’m not a scientist, but I gather that pay-to-publish journals are not typically considered the best source of good science. The _Real Clear Science_ piece also concludes, “Even if the study wasn’t severely limited, it wouldn’t be enough to overturn prior evidence” and briefly discusses the articles published in other journals that find no ill effects of a vegetarian diet. Meh. Open access, pay to publish journals vary _a lot_ in quality. Some are indeed crap, essentially scams, with very low standards (if any) of peer review, but many others are not, and the PLoS family of journals are perhaps the most highly regarded of the lot. A PLoS article has passed rigorous peer review, just like an article in a traditional closed access journal like JAMA. ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/15 "2014-04-08T21:50:55Z")
Austria… Vegetarianism… Godwin’s law by post #15… ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/16 "2014-04-08T21:56:42Z")
C’mon, this study will be definitely come in handy the next time a vegan proselytizer starts going on about how much healthier his lifestyle is. ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/17 "2014-04-08T22:16:45Z")
Well some vegans do have a healthier lifestyle. Bill Clinton is an example of someone who became a lot healthier on a vegan diet. That said, it’s obviously best to eat a well balanced diet which can be done with or without meat. It’s difficult to make across the board statements that x diet is the best since there are so many other variables and of course there’s a very broad spectrum of vegans and vegetarians. Not everyone in those groups is eating the same stuff. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/18 "2014-04-09T01:28:42Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > PloS ONE isn’t exactly _JAMA_. It’s an open access journal that is funded by charging authors to publish their articles. I’m not a scientist, but I gather that pay-to-publish journals are not typically considered the best source of good science. The _Real Clear Science_ piece also concludes, “Even if the study wasn’t severely limited, it wouldn’t be enough to overturn prior evidence” and briefly discusses the articles published in other journals that find no ill effects of a vegetarian diet. Meh. As noted, it varies, and they are a perfectly cromulent journal. Not without problems or criticism, but much of the research is quality. Traditional journal: free for author (often charges for color figures or length), individuals/institutions pay for access. Pay journal: author pays, it’s free online for anyone. Some exceptions, like I think NIH-funded papers show up on PMC in a year. There are bad pay journals, this isn’t one of them. And the issue normally isn’t bad science, but that they are outright scams and have zero peer review. A couple times a week I get invited to publish in “the Chinese Journal of X” and so on. > [@mascaroni](#): > > Austria… > > Vegetarianism… > > Godwin’s law by post #15… Despite what a bunch of talking eyeballs will tell you, Hitler was not a vegetarian. He didn’t eat a lot of meat and was particular about food, but not adverse. > [@CatherineZeta](#): > > Well some vegans do have a healthier lifestyle. Bill Clinton is an example of someone who became a lot healthier on a vegan diet. As far as weight loss goes, a vegan diet works, vegetarianism is crap. I think because most just replace meat with cheese? ---
**Author:** ![mascaroni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mascaroni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mascaroni)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 2:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/19 "2014-04-09T02:09:48Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Despite what a bunch of talking eyeballs will tell you, Hitler was not a vegetarian. He didn’t eat a lot of meat and was particular about food, but not adverse. Although my post was intended in jest, I should point out that the Farting Fuhrer’s [food taster](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/9859294/Hitlers-food-taster-speaks-of-Fuhrers-vegetarian-diet.html) claimed he eschewed meat completely in his final years. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 1:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633/20 "2014-04-09T13:03:21Z")
> [@mascaroni](#): > > Although my post was intended in jest, I should point out that the Farting Fuhrer’s [food taster](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/9859294/Hitlers-food-taster-speaks-of-Fuhrers-vegetarian-diet.html) claimed he eschewed meat completely in his final years. Given Hitler’s enemies, it’s not surprising he had someone eschew his meat first. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-vegetarian-diet-makes-you-sicker/685633.md?page=2)