Mindful Vegetarians

Background:

Vegetarian diets are a lifestyle choice made for various reasons, including health. Mindfulness practices may encourage lifestyle choices through cultivating awareness. This study explores the association between mindfulness practice and vegetarianism.

Methods:

Nationally representative data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Alternative Medicine Supplement (years 2002, 2007, 2012) were pooled for adults aged 18+. For the previous 12-month period, participants were asked if they followed a vegetarian diet for at least 2-weeks, and if they engaged in mindfulness-based practices such as yoga and meditation (n=67,625). Yoga/meditation practice information was combined into the following categories: 1) neither, 2) yoga only, 3) meditation only, 4) both. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, race/ethnicity, education, survey year, and complex survey design effects.

Results:

The prevalence of yoga, meditation, and vegetarian diet was 7.5%, 7.6%, and 1.9%, respectively. Compared to participants not engaged in either practice in the past 12-months, individuals practicing only yoga (Odds Ratio=3.37; 95% Confidence Interval=2.54-4.46) or only meditation (5.23; 4.22-6.47) were more likely to be vegetarian. Those practicing both were most likely to have been vegetarian within the past year (10.73; 8.88-12.96).

Conclusion:

There may be many reasons why mindfulness practitioners tend to be vegetarians, as such practice might increase one's compassion towards other beings (animals), a desire to decrease environmental impact, and as a manifestation of self-care. Regardless, given such a strong correlation between diet and mindfulness practices, both factors should be considered in health outcome and mortality lifestyle studies.