Effects of Eating Patterns on the Neural System of Omnivores, Vegetarians, and Vegans

The feeding choice of omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans contribute to a significant difference on how animals empathize. The brain of animals (omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans) respond differently to animal sufferings. According to a scientific experiment conducted by Filippe et al. (2010), vegetarians and vegans who made their own choice on food behaviors due to ethical reasons are likely to exhibit a different neural response to scenes depicting the suffering of humans and animals as compared to omnivores. This group of the scientist was motivated to research this field since empathy and effective appraisal form an essential part of the social interaction of conspecifics. Filippi et al. (2010) in their experiment wanted to test the hypothesis that the empathy reactions caused by violence on animals and humans in vegetarians and vegans differed significantly from that of omnivores.

To identify the neural process of animals with different eating habits, omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans were exposed to violent scenes of animals (including humans). The group of scientist recruited a group of twenty omnivores, nineteen vegetarians and twenty-one vegans for the study. Vegetarians and vegans were selected only if their eating behavior is a choice due to ethical reasons. The test group selected was investigated health wise to ensure that they had no history of ill health. The groups brain activation was investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) before and during the experiment. The group was then exposed to negative affective scenes of both animals and humans and their neural reactions recorded. According to the news story, a group of neuroscientists divided people according to their eating habits to find out whether the brain works differently due to different eating patterns. The news story gives an exact description of the group used in this study (omnivores, vegetarians, and vegans).

The results of the study concluded that vegetarians and vegans have a similar emotional reaction to negative affective scenes of animals and humans. Vegetarians and vegans are more empathetic towards negatively affected scenes regardless of whether they involved animals or humans than omnivores. However, vegetarians and vegans are more empathetic towards animals than humans. The results of the experiment supported the hypothesis. According to Filippi et al. (2010), the reaction of omnivores to negative affective scenes of animals and humans affected the bilateral middle temporal gyrus. This part of the neural system is less known regarding its functionality. Therefore, more research in this area should be done to determine its functionality. The research should aim to determine the relation of omnivores response to the functionality of this part of the brain.

The new study about the scientific study was done by Veselic, S (2015). Veselic reported the results of the scientific study in a representative way. The description and the results of the findings were well articulated. The neural system of conspecifics reacts differently to negative affective scenes of animals and humans. Vegetarians and vegans are more empathetic towards sufferings of animals and humans than the omnivores. However, vegetarians and vegans are more empathetic to non-conspecific than conspecific. Therefore, the choice of eating patterns influences the emotional reaction of the brain towards negative affective scenes of animals and humans.

References

Filippi M, Riccitelli G, Falini A, Di Salle F, Vuilleumier P, et al. (2010). The Functional Brain Networks Associated with Human and Animal Suffering Differ among Omnivores, Vegetarians, and Vegans. PLoS ONE 5(5): e10847. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0010847

Veselic, S. (2015). Vegetarians and Vegans More Compassionate Than Omnivores, Study Finds.