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Nutritional status of elderly Chinese vegetarians
1Department of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, NT. jeanwoowong@cuhk.edu.hk
Age and Ageing
|January 12, 1999
Summary
Elderly Chinese vegetarians had lower intakes of energy, fat, and protein but higher carbohydrate intake. This diet is linked to a favorable cardiovascular risk profile but carries a high risk of nutritional anemia due to B vitamin deficiencies.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Nutritional Science
- Public Health
Background:
- Vegetarian diets are increasingly popular globally.
- Understanding the nutritional status of elderly vegetarians is crucial for public health.
- Chinese vegetarianism presents unique dietary patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the nutritional status of elderly Chinese vegetarian women.
- To compare their nutritional intake and health indicators with omnivore counterparts.
Main Methods:
- Dietary intake assessed via 24-hour recall in 131 elderly Chinese vegetarian women (mean age 81).
- Anthropometric indices and laboratory nutritional parameters were measured.
- Data compared with age- and sex-matched omnivore subjects from previous surveys.
Main Results:
- Vegetarians had lower energy, fat, and protein intake; higher carbohydrate, calcium, and vitamin intake.
- Lower body fat and higher muscle area observed in vegetarians.
- Higher prevalence of anemia (30%) and vitamin B12 deficiency (54%) in vegetarians.
- Vegetarians showed a lower prevalence of ischemic heart disease history.
Conclusions:
- The Chinese vegetarian diet may offer a favorable risk-factor profile for ischemic heart disease.
- However, it is associated with deficiencies in B vitamins, leading to a high frequency of nutritional anemias.
- This highlights the need for nutritional monitoring and supplementation in elderly Chinese vegetarians.