Desmond, Małgorzata Agnieszka;
(2020)
Body composition, cardiovascular and nutritional risk of 5–10-year-old children consuming vegetarian, vegan or omnivore diets.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
Interest in vegetarian and vegan diets has increased rapidly in many regions. There are three reasons for this: planetary sustainability, concern for animal welfare and prevention of chronic disease. These issues primarily concern adults, who may then act on them when selecting diets for their offspring. In adults, the health effects of plant-based diets have been evaluated, and some benefits, mainly cardiometabolic, established. Equivalent evidence in children is scant. Atherosclerosis originates in childhood, and relates to classical cardiovascular risk factors which, along with dietary habits, track to adulthood. Therefore plant-based diets in childhood might positively affect adult cardiometabolic health. However, vegetarians and vegans restrict intake of whole food groups, which might affect children’s growth and development. This thesis investigates potential health benefits and risks of vegetarianism and veganism in children. It tests four hypotheses. Plant-based diets in childhood: favourably affect cardiovascular risk; negatively affect growth; increase the risk of nutritional deficiencies; and increase risk of inadequate nutrient intakes. The following data were collected from 187 children aged 5–10 years, including 63 vegetarian, 52 vegan and 72 omnivore: body composition, blood markers of cardiovascular risk and nutritional status; bone mineral content (BMC) and dietary intake. Vegetarians and vegans were shorter than omnivores, with lower adiposity but similar lean mass. The body composition differences were more pronounced in vegans, who also had BMC deficits. Vegans had lower cholesterol status than omnivores and evidence of nutritional deficiencies. Vegetarians were at risk of B3, folate, zinc and calcium inadequacy, while vegans at risk of vitamin A, B2, B3, B12, calcium, phosphorus, iron and zinc inadequacy. In conclusion, evidence of cardiometabolic benefits, but also nutritional harm, was found in vegan children. The magnitude of harm in vegetarians was intermediate, while the benefits were smaller. Restriction of animal-origin foods in childhood could constrain height and BMC, and cause nutritional deficiencies.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Body composition, cardiovascular and nutritional risk of 5–10-year-old children consuming vegetarian, vegan or omnivore diets. |
| Event: | UCL (University College London) |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2020. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Population Health Sciences > UCL GOS Institute of Child Health > Population, Policy and Practice Dept |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10114917 |
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