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Nutrient Intake and Status of German Children and Adolescents Consuming Vegetarian, Vegan or Omnivore Diets: Results of the VeChi Youth Study
- Source :
- Nutrients, Volume 13, Issue 5, Nutrients, Vol 13, Iss 1707, p 1707 (2021)
- Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- There is a lack of data on associations between modern vegetarian and vegan diets and health among children and adolescents. The aim of the Vechi Youth Study was to cross-sectionally examine anthropometry, dietary intakes and nutritional status in a sample of 149 vegetarian, 115 vegan and 137 omnivore children and adolescents (6–18 years old, mean age: 12.7 ± 3.9 years). Group differences of dietary intake (calculated from three-day dietary records), nutrient biomarker and blood lipid concentrations were assessed using an analysis of covariance, adjusted for sex, age and other covariates. The total energy intake did not differ significantly between groups, but intake of carbohydrates was higher among vegetarians and vegans than among omnivores (p = 0.0002, respectively). The median protein intake exceeded 0.9 g/kg body weight/day in all diet groups and was lowest among vegetarians (p &lt<br />0.02). There was no significant difference of haemoglobin, vitamin B2, 25-OH vitamin D3, HDL-C and triglycerides blood concentrations between diet groups. Vegan participants had higher folate concentrations than vegetarian participants (p = 0.0053). Ferritin concentration was significantly higher in omnivores than in vegetarians (p = 0.0134) and vegans (p = 0.0404). Vegetarians had lower concentrations of holotranscobalamin (p = 0.0042) and higher concentrations of methylmalonic acid (p = 0.0253) than omnivores. Vegans had the lowest non-HDL-C and LDL-C concentrations in comparison to vegetarians (p = 0.0053 and p = 0.0041) and omnivores (p = 0.0010 and p = 0.0010). A high prevalence (&gt<br />30%) of 25-OH vitamin D3 and vitamin B2 concentrations below reference values were found irrespective of the diet group. In conclusion, the Vechi Youth Study did not indicate specific nutritional risks among vegetarian and vegan children and adolescents compared to omnivores.
- Subjects :
- 0301 basic medicine
Vitamin
Male
Diet, Vegan
Adolescent
vegetarian diet
Blood lipids
Nutritional Status
030209 endocrinology & metabolism
Article
03 medical and health sciences
chemistry.chemical_compound
Eating
0302 clinical medicine
Nutrient
children
Environmental health
Germany
Medicine
Humans
TX341-641
adolescents
Child
Youth study
030109 nutrition & dietetics
Nutrition and Dietetics
blood lipids
Nutrition. Foods and food supply
business.industry
Dietary intake
Diet, Vegetarian
Nutritional Requirements
Vegan Diet
Feeding Behavior
Nutrients
vegan diet
Anthropometry
Lipids
Diet Records
Diet
chemistry
biomarker
Female
nutrient status
Omnivore
business
dietary intake
Biomarkers
Food Science
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 20726643
- Volume :
- 13
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Nutrients
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....cb6aa5318be96d44a3ab74f5ff47b386