A comprehensive study has shown that vegetarian and vegan diets for children, when well planned and supported with appropriate dietary supplements, can promote healthy growth and provide significant health benefits.
اضافة اعلان
A team of researchers from Italy, the United States, and Australia analyzed data from more than 48,000 children and adolescents worldwide who followed different dietary patterns, examining health outcomes, growth, and nutritional adequacy.
The researchers found that plant-based diets are rich in nutrients but may lead to deficiencies in certain essential nutrients if not compensated for with fortified foods or dietary supplements.
Key Findings
The study showed that vegetarian children—who avoid meat and fish but consume dairy products and eggs—had higher intakes of fiber, iron, folate, vitamin C, and magnesium compared with meat eaters. However, they had lower intakes of energy, protein, fat, vitamin B12, and zinc. Although evidence on fully vegan diets—those that exclude all animal products and rely entirely on plant-based foods—was limited, similar patterns were observed.
The findings also indicated that vegetarian children tended to be leaner, lighter in weight, and slightly shorter, with lower body mass index (BMI), fat mass, and bone mineral content.
Dr. Janet Beasley, Associate Professor in the Departments of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Medicine at New York University, explained: “Vitamin B12 levels were found to be insufficient without supplementation or fortified foods, and intakes of calcium, iodine, and zinc were often at the lower end of recommended ranges, making these key nutrients that require particular attention for vegetarian children.”
She added: “Calcium intake was especially low among these children.”
Health Benefits
The study found that vegetarian and strictly vegan children showed better cardiovascular health indicators than children who consume meat, with lower levels of total cholesterol and LDL (“bad”) cholesterol.
The researchers emphasized that plant-based diets can be a healthy option for children if carefully planned and may offer environmental and health advantages. They recommended consulting dietitians and pediatricians to ensure all nutritional needs are met, with particular focus on essential nutrients such as vitamin B12, calcium, iodine, iron, and zinc.
Need for Further Research
The researchers stressed the need to develop clear, evidence-based guidelines to support families in planning healthy plant-based diets. They cautioned that current findings are limited due to variations in methodologies and populations, as well as the difficulty of accurately assessing dietary intake.
Medical Express
