Vegan Diet Linked to Better Mood and Less Physical Pain, Suggests Study

Although plant-based diets are rapidly gaining popularity across diverse populations, a critical clinical gap has persisted regarding how they compare to traditional vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets across multiple psychological and physical parameters. To address this empirical question, Akanksha and colleagues from the Department of Psychology, North Campus, University of Delhi, India, designed an investigation aiming to examine the direct impact of a vegan diet on mood disturbances, empathy, somatic symptoms, and psychological well-being in comparison to vegetarian and non-vegetarian cohorts.

Therefore, the cross-sectional study evaluated 168 adults (aged 18–60) divided into vegan (n=63), vegetarian (n=59), and non-vegetarian (n=46) cohorts to assess somatic symptoms, mood, empathy, and psychological well-being. Using standardized clinical scales, researchers compared these groups via one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's post-hoc tests, though study duration and exclusion criteria were not specified.

Key Clinical Findings of the Study Includes:

• Reduced Somatic Distress: Analysis demonstrated that vegan participants reported significantly fewer somatic symptoms—including headaches, back pain, dizziness, and sleep problems—compared to both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

• Lower Mood Disturbances: Investigation showed that individuals consuming a vegan diet experienced significantly lower mood disturbances than those in the vegetarian and non-vegetarian cohorts.

• Borderline Well-Being Trends: Data indicated that differences in psychological well-being among the dietary groups only tended towards significance and did not achieve statistical significance (p = 0.055).

• Equivalent Empathy Levels: Authors confirmed that empathy levels did not differ significantly across any of the three dietary patterns.

• Pronounced Intergroup Variances: ANOVA revealed that the significant differences in mood disturbances and somatic symptoms were most pronounced when comparing the vegan group directly with the other two cohorts.

The results suggest that a vegan diet may offer benefits, such as improved mood and reduced somatic symptoms (like headaches, back pain, dizziness, and trouble sleeping, among others), although overall psychological well-being improvements only bordered on statistical significance at p = 0.055.

These observations highlight the psychological and physical health benefits of a plant-based diet, suggesting that practitioners could discuss dietary habits as a supportive factor when assessing their patients' emotional wellness and bodily comfort.

While the study's cross-sectional nature limits the ability to establish temporal causal relationships, it highlights the importance of future clinical trials to explore the precise physiological mechanisms and long-term effects of diverse dietary habits on psychological wellness.

Reference

Akanksha, Chhabra, D., & Sachan, T. (2025). Plant-Powered Well-being: Exploring the Impact of Vegan Diet on Physical and Psychological Health. The Indian Journal of Nutrition and Dietetics, 62(4).