Prime Highlights:
- Vegetarian and vegan diets can support healthy growth in children if they include fortified foods or supplements.
- Children on plant-based diets may have healthier hearts and lower cholesterol than those who eat meat.
Key Facts:
- The study analyzed diets and health of nearly 49,000 children and teens from 18 countries.
- Vegetarian and vegan children often need extra vitamins B12, calcium, iodine, and zincto meet nutrient needs.
Background:
A new study says vegetarian and vegan diets can help children grow well if they get extra vitamins or fortified foods.
The research, published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, looked at the diets, health, and growth of nearly 49,000 children and teens from 18 countries. Researchers studied vegetarian children, who consume dairy and eggs but not meat, fish, or poultry, as well as vegan and omnivorous children.
The findings showed that vegetarian children typically consumed higher amounts of fibre, iron, folate, vitamin C, and magnesium, but lower levels of energy, protein, fat, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and zinc. Vegan children had similar patterns, with particularly low calcium intake.
“Well-planned and appropriately supplemented vegetarian and vegan diets can meet nutritional requirements and support healthy growth in children,” said Monica Dinu, lead author and researcher at the University of Florence, Italy.
The study also found health benefits linked to plant-based diets. Both vegetarian and vegan children generally had healthier hearts, lower cholesterol, and leaner bodies compared to children who eat meat.
Researchers said these children might need vitamins or fortified foods to get enough B12, calcium, iodine, and zinc. They also noted that families on plant-based diets may have different lifestyles or incomes, which can affect children’s health.
Experts recommend that parents plan their children’s diets carefully, ideally with guidance from paediatricians and dieticians, and call for more official guidance to help families ensure proper nutrition.
“We hope these findings provide clear guidance on both the benefits and potential risks of plant-based diets,” Dinu added, highlighting the growing interest among parents in ethical, environmental, and health-driven dietary choices.
