Is your child a vegetarian?

It is important that you read this article

In the last decade more and more people are choosing a plant-based diet.

Along with the many benefits of vegetarianism, in children - the situation requires more serious monitoring.

New research shows that such a diet may lead to lower weight.

here are the details

Walla!

health

09/05/2022

Monday, 09 May 2022, 05:21 Updated: 07:36

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If your child is also interested in vegetarianism and you are wondering what to do, a new study suggests some factors to consider before proceeding.

The study found that children who ate a vegetarian diet and children who ate meat were similar in terms of growth, height and nutritional indices, but vegetarian children were more likely to be underweight.

"Over the past 20 years we have seen the growing popularity of plant-based diets and a changing food environment with more access to plant-based alternatives, however we have not seen research on the nutritional outcomes of children following vegetarian diets in Canada," said Dr. Jonathan Maguire, lead author of the published study Most recently in the journal Pediatrics and Pediatrician at St. Michael's Hospital of Unity Health Toronto, in a press release.

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The authors used data from nearly 9,000 children aged 6 months to 8 who participated in a follow-up group between 2008 and 2019.

Details of the diets these children ate were given by their parents, who answered whether their children were vegetarian (including vegan) or non-vegetarian.

Group research assistants measured participants' body mass index, weight, height, cholesterol levels, triglycerides, vitamin D levels, and serum ferritin levels several times throughout the study.

Ferritin is a cellular protein that stores iron and allows the body to use iron when needed, so a ferritin test indirectly measures iron levels in the blood.

Keep track of weight.

Child eats avocado (Photo: ShutterStock)

At baseline, 248 children (including 25 vegans) were vegetarian, and an additional 338 children became vegetarian later in the study.

The children were followed up for almost three years on average.

There were no significant differences between non-vegetarian vegetarian children in terms of standard BMI, height, serum ferritin levels and vitamin D. However, vegetarian children were almost twice as likely to give weight than non-vegetarian children.

Underweight can be a sign of malnutrition and can indicate that a person's diet is insufficient to support proper growth, according to the study.

Specific details about dietary intake or quality, and exercise, were not available to the authors - which may affect growth and nutrition.

Studies with longer follow-up periods and information on the motivations for vegetarian eating - such as socioeconomic status - will also be helpful in understanding the links between child development and vegetarianism, the authors said.

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The findings highlight the "need for careful nutritional planning for underweight children when considering vegetarian diets, and in general regardless of the diet chosen," said Dr. Guyer, "A vegetarian diet can be a healthy choice for all children.

The key is to make sure it is well designed.

With the help of a certified nutritionist, it is possible to monitor the growth of the children as well as their nutritional needs to ensure that they are consumed properly. "

• health

• parenthood

• Child nutrition

Tags

• vegetarianism

• Child nutrition

• diet

• naturalism