From St. Michael’s Hospital May 3, 2022
A new study finds that children on a vegetarian diet have similar growth and nutrition compared to children who eat meat.
However, children on a vegetarian diet had an increased chance of being underweight.
A study of nearly 9,000 children found that those who ate a vegetarian diet had similar growth and nutrition measures as children who ate meat. The study also found that children on a vegetarian diet have an increased chance of being underweight, emphasizing the need for special care when planning the diets of vegetarian children. The study was published on May 2, 2022 in the journal Pediatrics and led by researchers from St. Michael’s at Unity Health in Toronto.
The findings come as the transition to a plant-based diet accelerates in Canada. In 2019, updates from the Canadian Food Guide called on Canadians to eat plant proteins such as beans, nuts and tofu instead of meat.
Dr. Jonathan Maguire, a pediatrician at St. Michael’s Hospital in Unity Health in Toronto and a scientist at the MAP Center for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael’s Hospital. Credit: Unity Health Toronto
“Over the last 20 years, we have seen the growing popularity of plant-based diets and changing nutritional environments with greater access to plant-based alternatives, but we have not seen research on the nutritional outcomes of children following a vegetarian diet in Canada,” said Dr. Jonathan Maguire. lead author of the study and pediatrician at St. Michael’s Hospital of Unity Health in Toronto.
“This study shows that Canadian children who follow a vegetarian diet have similar growth and biochemical characteristics compared to children who follow a non-vegetarian diet. Vegetarian diets are associated with higher chances of being underweight, emphasizing the need to carefully plan the diet for underweight children when considering vegetarian diets.
The researchers estimated 8,907 children aged six months to eight years. All children were participants in TARGet Kids! The cohort study and data were collected between 2008 and 2019. Participants were categorized by vegetarian status – defined as a dietary model that excludes meat – or non-vegetarian status.
The researchers found that children who were on a vegetarian diet had a similar average body mass index (BMI), height, iron levels, vitamin D and cholesterol compared to those who ate meat. The results show evidence that children on a vegetarian diet are almost twice as likely to be underweight, which is defined as below the third BMI percentile. There was no evidence of a link to overweight or obesity.
Being underweight is an indicator of malnutrition and may be a sign that the quality of the child’s diet does not meet the child’s nutritional needs to maintain normal growth. For children who eat a vegetarian diet, researchers emphasize access to health care providers who can provide growth monitoring, education and guidance to support their growth and nutrition.
The International Guidelines for Vegetarian Diets in Infancy and Childhood have differing recommendations, and past studies assessing the link between vegetarian diets and childhood growth and nutritional status have conflicting findings.
“Plant-based dietary patterns are recognized as a model of healthy eating due to increased intake of fruits, vegetables, fiber, whole grains and reduced saturated fats; however, few studies have evaluated the impact of vegetarian diets on children’s growth and nutritional status. Vegetarian diets seem to be appropriate for most children, “said Dr. Maguire, who is also a scientist at the MAP Center for Urban Health Solutions at St. Mary’s Hospital. Michael.
A limitation of the study is that researchers have not evaluated the quality of vegetarian diets. Researchers note that vegetarian diets come in many forms and the quality of the individual diet can be very important for growth and nutritional outcomes. The authors say more research is needed to examine the quality of the vegetarian diet in childhood, as well as the results of growth and nutrition among children following a vegan diet that excludes meat and animal products such as dairy, eggs and honey.
Reference: “Vegetarian Diet, Growth and Nutrition in Early Childhood: A Longitudinal Cohort Study” by Laura J. Elliott, RD, MSc; Charles DG Keown-Stoneman, PhD; Catherine C. Birken, MD, MSc, FRCPC; David JA Jenkins, MD, PhD, DSc, FRSC, FRCP, FRCPC; Cornelia M. Borkhoff, MSc, PhD; Jonathan L. Maguire, MD, MSc, FRCPC on behalf of TARGet KIDS! COOPERATION, May 2, 2022, Pediatrics.DOI: 10.1542 / peds.2021-052598
The study was funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation and the SickKids Foundation.
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