The vegetarian diet, in which the consumption of meat and any product that comes from animals is dispensed with, is safe in childhood. A study has found that the growth and nutrition of children who have these eating habits is similar to those who eat meat, however, it has been observed that the vegetarian diet in children increases the chances of being underweight than average.
The research that has reached these conclusions has been carried out by members of the St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health Toronto (Canada), and was carried out thanks to 8,907 children between 6 months and 8 years of age. They were classified according to their diet in the vegetarian group, with no meat, and non-vegetarian, in which this type of food was eaten.
The researchers in the paper wanted to find out if the rise of vegetarian diets in children could also be detrimental to their health. And it is that, in 2019 in the Canadian Food Guide, citizens were recommended to consume more amounts of plant-based proteins, such as tofu or beans.
Careful dietary planning for vegetarian children
Dr. Jonathon Maguire, lead author of the study published in Pediatrics said, “This study demonstrates that Canadian children following vegetarian diets had similar growth and biochemical measures of nutrition compared to children consuming non-vegetarian diets. The vegetarian diet was associated with higher odds of being underweight, underscoring the need for careful dietary planning for underweight children when considering vegetarian diets.”
Vegetarian children had similar height, body mass index, iron, vitamin D and cholesterol levels to those who ate meat
Specifically, it was observed that children who did not eat meat had height, body mass index (BMI), levels of iron, vitamin D and cholesterol similar to those who did eat this food. However, young vegetarians were also found to be nearly twice as likely to be underweight, below the third percentile for BMI.
Being underweight is an indicator of malnutrition and could warn that the quality of the child’s diet does not provide everything necessary for proper development. Researchers have stressed the importance of offering vegetarian children growth monitoring, education and guidance to support their proper growth and nutrition.
“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; however, few studies have evaluated the impact of vegetarian diets on the growth and nutritional status of children. Vegetarian diets seem to be appropriate for most children”, explained Dr. Maguire, another of the researchers.
There is still much to be studied about the effects of a vegetarian diet in childhood, the authors explain, and that is that, although this research has found enough evidence, it also has a limitation, and that is that the quality of the meatless diets followed by children.
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