Map centre for urban health solutions - Latest News Update, Information, Photos & Videos on Map centre for urban health solutions at Lokmat Times

A new study has found that children who eat a vegetarian diet had similar measures of growth and nutrition compared to children who eat meat.The findings of the research were published in the journal, 'Pediatrics'.Researchers also found that children with a vegetarian diet had higher underweight-weight">odds of underweight weight status, emphasizing the need for special care when planning the diets of vegetarian kids.The findings come as a shift to consuming a plant-based diet grows in Canada. In 2019, updates to Canada's Food Guide urged Canadians to embrace plant-based proteins, such as beans and tofu, instead of meat."Over the last 20 years we have seen the growing popularity of plant-based diets and a changing food environment with more access to plant-based alternatives, however, we have not seen research into the nutritional outcomes of children following vegetarian diets in Canada," said Dr Jonathon Maguire, lead author of the study and a pediatrician at St Michael's Hospital of Unity Health Toronto."This study demonstrates that Canadian children following vegetarian diets had similar growth and biochemical measures of nutrition compared to children consuming non-vegetarian diets. The vegetarian diet was associated with higher underweight-weight" odds of underweight weight status, underscoring the need for careful dietary planning for children with underweight when considering vegetarian diets."Researchers found children who had a vegetarian diet had similar mean body mass index (BMI), height, iron, vitamin D, and cholesterol levels compared to those who consumed meat. The findings showed evidence that children with a vegetarian diet had almost two-fold higher odds of having underweight, which is defined as below the third percentile for BMI. There was no evidence of an association with overweight or obesity.Underweight is an indicator of undernutrition and may be a sign that the quality of the child's diet is not meeting the child's nutritional needs to support normal growth. For children who eat a vegetarian diet, the researchers emphasized access to healthcare providers who can provide growth monitoring, education, and guidance to support their growth and nutrition.International guidelines about vegetarian diet in infancy and childhood have differing recommendations, and past studies that have evaluated the relationship between vegetarian diet and childhood growth and nutritional status have had conflicting findings."Plant-based dietary patterns are recognized as a healthy eating pattern due to increased intake of fruits, vegetables, fiber, whole grains, and reduced saturated fat; however, few studies have evaluated the impact of vegetarian diets on childhood growth and nutritional status. Vegetarian diets appear to be appropriate for most children," said Dr Maguire, who is also a scientist at MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions at St. Michael's Hospital.( With inputs from ANI )Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor

Home

City

Latest News

Cricket

LT Premium

National

International

Maharashtra

Opinions

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Nagpur

Entertainment

Photos

Business

Technology

Sports

Lifestyle

Social Viral

Lokmat Games

Health

Narendra Modi

Lok Sabha Election 2024

Heatwave In India

Mumbai Water Cut

Maharashtra Lok Sabha Election

IPL 2024

Map Centre For Urban Health SolutionsFOLLOW

Map centre for urban health solutions, Latest News

Lifestyle :Children on vegetarian diet have similar measures of growth, nutrition as compared to meat-eating children: Study

A new study has found that children who eat a vegetarian diet had similar measures of growth and nutrition compared to children who eat meat. ...