What are the Growth, body composition, and cardiovascular nutritional risk of 5- to 10-y-old children consuming vegetarian, vegan, or omnivore diets?

 

Plant-based diets (PBDs) have recently gained popularity in many parts of the world. Although formal figures are sparse, various sources show that increasing number of people in industrialized countries are embracing meat-free diets. In general, vegetarian diets exclude meat and fish, but vegan diets prohibit all animal-derived items, including dairy and eggs. The rise in popularity can be attributed to three factors: planetary sustainability, improved health, notably the prevention of no communicable disease (NCD), and increased awareness for animal welfare. The first two have recently been reflected in a number of worldwide health organizations' guidelines for healthy eating. These difficulties mostly affect adults, who may use them to guide eating choices for their children. Vegetarianism and veganism have been studied for their health benefits. For youngsters, there is less proof. Atherosclerosis begins in childhood and is linked to cardiometabolic risk factors that persist into adulthood, coupled with dietary behaviors. As a result, PBDs in infancy may reduce adult risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD); however, any such advantages must be weighed against the risk of harm in children. Vegans and vegetarians limit their intake of entire food groups. This is especially concerning in children, whose nutrient and energy requirements are higher than their body weight, and whose growth may be hampered by nutrient deficits during critical developmental phases. Existing data comes from research with a variety of designs, and it mostly concerns anthropometric results and vegetarian children. Previous research on vegetarian youngsters revealed normal growth and a proclivity to be creative. Compared to omnivores, they are slimmer. The only evidence on blood micronutrient status for this group is for iron insufficiency, which shows wide variance in the prevalence of deficiency. There is a scarcity of information on other blood parameters. There are currently no studies on vegan children under the age of three years in which health impacts may be less obvious. Inconsistencies between medical and nutrition organizations’ assertions about the safety of meat-free meals in children are due to a lack of evidence. Given the growing global push to promote PBDs, solid research is urgently needed to show that these diets can help reduce environmental damage while also improving adult and child health. We wanted to see if there were any variations in growth, body composition, CVD risk, and micronutrient status in vegetarian or vegan youngsters compared to an omnivorous control group, as well as estimate the prevalence of deficient serum micronutrient and aberrant cholesterol status.