Abstract
The health implications of lacto-ovo-vegetarian and vegan diets in childhood remain debated. This meta-analysis compares lacto-ovo-vegetarian and vegan diets with omnivorous diets across a wide spectrum of nutrients and health outcomes among children <18 years worldwide without chronic disease. Searches in MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, and Web of Science up to March 2025 identified 59 studies including 48,626 participants (7,280 lacto-ovo-vegetarians, 1289 vegans, and 40,059 omnivores). Lacto-ovo-vegetarian children consumed less energy, protein, fat, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and zinc, but more fiber, iron, folate, vitamin C, and magnesium. Vegans showed similar patterns, with particularly low calcium intake. Growth and body composition indicated a leaner phenotype: lacto-ovo-vegetarians had lower height, weight, BMI z-scores, fat mass, and bone mineral content, while vegans had shorter stature and lower BMI z-scores. Biomarkers showed lower ferritin and 25(OH)D in lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and lower hemoglobin and ferritin in vegans. Although group averages for most nutrients and biomarkers remained within pediatric reference ranges, increased odds of iron deficiency and anemia were observed in lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and vitamin B12 deficiency in vegans. Both groups showed lower total and LDL cholesterol. These findings underscore the need for careful dietary planning and supplementation in lacto-ovo-vegetarian and vegan children.
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Vegan diets for kids is child abuse.
Using low cholesterol as a positive health marker for kids (implying low cholesterol is better) is insane. Cholesterol, though a widely used marker, is not linked to better health. The only reason it's used is because there's wildly profitable drugs (with severe side effects) that lowers cholesterol. So they push it.
If that were true, something ought to have been apparent in their results. I think you should rein in the hyperbole.
Like this?
That's not a statement that veganism is inherently abusive, which is the claim I'm objecting to.
Since they found that vegan kids were generally within all the acceptable pediatric ranges, calling it abuse is deranged.
Oh. Yeah i think "abusive" is subjective so it can't be more than an opinion - even when it's the prevalent opinion.
However, as someone that caught a nasty tropical virus a longer time ago and since then is actually under
careful dietary planning and supplementationby an internist - because I'm now more vulnerable - I would not recommend anyone making ideological choices for their offspring if that makes young kids suffer the same fate of having that quarterly blood screening, and continuous assessment of what you're ingesting and/or exposing yourself to, and the constant tuning as a result. It's time consuming, shitty if you forget it and a constant reminder of what feels as inferiority.I'm lucky to have no other issues, because that could easily complicate things.
I agree with this but most vegans I know have experienced improvements in their health and have healthier than average kids. It would be very strange for them to conclude from that experience that they're doing something wrong.
Vegans are probably going to be more health conscious in a lot of ways. And they'll probably not eat a ton of processed food. (But not always, I definitely know some junk food vegans).
Also, vegans are going to be higher income. Higher income usually is correlated to better health. So that will give them a health boost as well.
However, over time the deficiencies associated with a vegan diet will add up (B-12, iron, protein, etc.) and result in worse health. It's a cliché in the carnivore world, I've listened to many podcast interviews on this topic. Someone goes vegan, experiences some health benefits (usually from dropping the processed food), but then long term, has some severe negative consequences.
This channel - No Carb Life - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzcoPGdDRiPiWZYV4_EkzPQ has really great interviews with carnivores, there's tons of former vegans.
I realize these are all "anecdotes", but when the medical establishment is constantly lying, this is what we have.
It may be a cliche, but I remain perfectly healthy decades in and there are many cases of healthy old vegans. You're simply painting with too broad of a brush and making unwarranted universal claims.
Not to mention how shitty it is to allege something as horrible as child abuse against very conscientious parents. Have some humility. You don't know as much as you obviously think you do.
Is big pharma an honest source of data? Is the US health system scientifically credible or riven with conflicts of interest and rentseeking?
No.
Nice to see a study showing that, too.
Have never known a vegan or vegetarian who looked healthy.
They have such pasty looking skin.
everything is good in moderation. diet should be balanced.