On Thu, 18 Oct 2001 21:32:52 +0930, The Shark <theshark at ihug.com.au>
wrote:
>I have been vegetarian for many years - forgive me if this is unrelated
>to this newsgroup - and have now started eating small amounts of red
>meat. Apparantly this will improve my mood as some proteins are
>required for healthy brain function - is this correct?
>>Thanks,
>>Ian
The brain does need many proteins for its function. But it makes all
it needs from amino acids circulating in the blood. When you eat
protein, you break it down into separate amino acids and absorb
these into the blood. Both plant and animal proteins work the same
way. The only difference is the particular mix of amino acids which,
in fact, might affect your mood. Plant proteins are often deficient in
particular amino acids so you can end up with problems if you don't
balance your foods properly. Animal proteins normally contain all
the essential amino acids so less care is needed in what you eat.
But many people live full, rich, healthy lives on a vegetarian diet
(making sure they eat the proper blend of food). By the same token,
many people live full, rich, healthy lives on a mixed diet including
meat.
But I would guess that your actively thinking about what you eat,
perhaps coupled with some worry or anxienty over changing your
eating patterns, has more to do with your mood than the specifics
of what you eat.