A review of research to date finds that vegan and vegetarian diets can support healthy growth in children, but may pose a risk of nutrient deficiencies if key nutrients are not adequately obtained.
A major new meta-analysis finds that vegetarian and vegan diets can support healthy growth in children when they are carefully planned and include appropriate supplements. The research represents the most comprehensive evaluation so far of plant-based eating patterns in young people.
Scientists from Italy, the USA, and Australia reviewed data from more than 48,000 children and adolescents around the world who followed different types of diets. They assessed growth, overall health, and nutritional adequacy, concluding that vegetarian and vegan diets can provide many essential nutrients and support normal development. However, the analysis also shows that deficiencies can occur if certain nutrients are not supplied through fortified foods or supplements.
The peer-reviewed findings, published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, indicate that plant-based diets may also be linked to added health advantages for children. These include more favorable indicators of cardiovascular health when compared with omnivorous diets that contain meat, fish, and other animal-derived foods.
This meta-analysis draws on evidence from 59 studies conducted across 18 countries, focusing on children and adolescents under the age of 18. It compared lacto-ovo-vegetarian (which include dairy products and eggs, but exclude meat, fish, and poultry) and vegan diets (which exclude all animal-derived foods) with omnivorous diets. In total, the analysis included data from 7,280 lacto-ovo-vegetarians, 1,289 vegans, and 40,059 omnivores, covering a wide range of nutritional and health outcomes.
The results show that vegetarian children generally consumed higher amounts of fiber, iron, folate, vitamin C, and magnesium than those eating omnivorous diets. At the same time, they tended to have lower intakes of total energy, protein, fat, vitamin B1,2 and zinc. Although fewer studies focused specifically on vegan children, the available evidence revealed similar nutritional patterns.
