It has never taken much convincing to tell us carnivores that a nice chunk of charred animal flesh is happiness on a plate. Recently, there is scientific proof as well. A recent study finds that eating red meat halves your risk of getting depression.

The study, carried out at Deakin University in Victoria, Australia, confirms that people who eat no red meat are twice as likely to battle depression. Admittedly thew study is a bit narrow as they only observed women.

Professor Felice Jacka, one of the researchers, explains:

“When we looked at women consuming less than the recommended amount of red meat in our study, we found that they were twice as likely to have a diagnosed depressive or anxiety disorder as those consuming the recommended amount. “Even when we took into account the overall healthiness of the women’s diets, as well as other factors such as their socioeconomic status, physical activity levels, smoking, weight and age, the relationship between low red meat intake and mental health remained. “Interestingly, there was no relationship between other forms of protein, such as chicken, pork, fish or plant-based proteins, and mental health. Vegetarianism was not the explanation either. “

It hardly needs proving that those who indulge in the glories of steak and ribs are happier doesn’t really need much more proving, in fact it has long been accepted that diet plays a significant role in mental health. Sadly, the researchers in this study have no clue why it is that red meat does the job.

So even though red meat does carry with it some inherent health risks, your mind will thank you for ordering that extra burger.

Are you encouraged that Red Meat help fight depression?