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Is vegetarianism healthy for children?
1a Balliol College , University of Oxford , Oxford OX1 3BJ , UK.
Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
|February 7, 2018
Summary
Vegetarian diets may pose risks to fetal and child development, challenging established nutritional guidelines. Supplementation may not fully address these potential risks, questioning the safety of these diets for children.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Pediatric Development
- Public Health Nutrition
Background:
- The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and USDA endorse vegetarian diets for children.
- Concerns exist regarding potential risks of vegetarianism for fetal and child development.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the evidence on the safety of vegetarian and vegan diets for children.
- To critically examine the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' position on vegetarianism in pediatric nutrition.
Main Methods:
- Review of direct and indirect evidence regarding vegetarian diets and child development.
- Analysis of existing nutritional guidelines and their scientific basis.
Main Results:
- Evidence suggests potential risks to brain and body development in fetuses and children on vegetarian diets.
- Standard supplementation (iron, zinc, vitamin B12) may not fully mitigate these risks.
Conclusions:
- The safety of vegetarian and vegan diets for children cannot be definitively established.
- Further research is needed to address the potential developmental risks associated with pediatric vegetarianism.
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