Most Vegetarian Children Are Just As Well Nourished As Meat Eaters

children raised in vegetarian diets tend to receive similar levels of key nutrients as those who eat meat, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatrics. However, the researchers found that vegetarian children have a slightly higher risk of being underweight, highlighting the need for careful consideration and planning when it comes to feeding children.

“Plant-based dietary patterns are recognized as a healthy eating pattern due to increased intake of fruits, vegetables, fiber, whole grains, and reduced saturated fat,” said study author Dr. Jonathon Maguire, it’s a statement. statement. “However, few studies have evaluated the impact of vegetarian diets on children’s growth and nutritional status.”

To investigate, the researchers analyzed data on 8,907 Canadian children ages six months to eight years, collected between 2008 and 2019. This period saw a significant increase in the popularity of plant-based diets due to a growing awareness of health and environmental issues associated with meat consumption.

Blood samples revealed that the vegetarian children had similar levels of vitamin D, iron and cholesterol to those whose diets included meat. Such a finding came as a surprise to the researchers, given that meat is among the main sources of iron in children’s diets.

At the same time, the data showed that around 6% of vegetarian children were underweight, compared to just 3% of meat eaters. While this twofold increased risk of developing a low body mass index (BMI) is obviously concerning, Maguire insisted that “vegetarian diets appear to be appropriate for most children.” Overall, she says, “children on vegetarian diets had similar growth and biochemical measures of nutrition compared to children on nonvegetarian diets.”

Curiously, previous studies have indicated that children who eat a vegetarian diet tend to be taller than children who eat meat, however herbivorous participants in this analysis were found to be fractionally shorter than their omnivorous counterparts at the age of three. However, the height difference between the two groups was too small to be considered clinically significant.

In interpreting these findings, it is important to note that the study authors did not look at the actual content of each child’s diet, making it difficult to draw broad conclusions about the nutritional value of vegetarian eating patterns. Regardless, Maguire explained that a “vegetarian diet was associated with increased odds of being underweight, underscoring the need for careful dietary planning for underweight children when considering vegetarian diets.”

Based on these observations, the researchers urge parents and caregivers to seek guidance and education from health care providers before deciding whether or not to feed their children meat.