Comparison of Nutritional Quality of the Vegan, Vegetarian, Semi-Vegetarian, Pesco-Vegetarian and Omnivorous Diet (original) (raw)
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Differences in food intake and diet quality in vegans, vegetarians and omnivores in Belgium
Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2018
Meat, meat products and other animal-derived foods are major sources of certain vitamins, minerals and amino-acids (1). Consequently, there is a risk that when animal products are insufficiently substituted by nutritious plant-based foods, a vegetarian or vegan diet could possibly lead to inadequacies for certain nutrients. Little is known about the quality of the diet of Belgian vegans and (semi-)vegetarians in comparison with Belgian omnivores and their compliance with the food based dietary guidelines (FBDG) (2). The aim of this cross-sectional study was to examine the diet quality of vegans, vegetarians, semi-vegetarians and omnivores using a diet quality index (DQI) (3) especially developed alongside the Belgian food based dietary guidelines (FBDG) and compared these dietary patterns in a representative sample of the Belgian population. A representative sample (n = 3,039) from the 2004 Belgian food consumption survey (4) and additional participants recruited through a Belgian vegetarian organization and Universities in Ghent (n = 1,803) completed an online questionnaire including a selfreported food frequency questionnaire (FFQ). Totaling n = 123 vegans, n = 623 vegetarians, n = 704 semi-vegetarians and n = 3,392 omnivores, of which 72% were female. A DQI based on Belgian FBDG and consisting of the four index parameters: meal, diversity, equilibrium and quality was calculated and compared between dietary patterns. None of the dietary pattern groups were fully compliant with the FBDG. However, all dietary pattern groups did meet the minimum recommendation for protein sources. Recommendations for dairy or calcium-fortified drinks were not met in any of the dietary pattern groups, although vegans, vegetarians, and semi-vegetarians consumed at least 1•7 times more milk or soya drinks than omnivores. DQI scores were significantly higher in vegan men and vegetarian and semi-vegetarian women compared to omnivores (P < 0•05). In conclusion, vegans, vegetarians and semi-vegetarians appear to adequately compensate for the absence or reduced intake of animal protein, and conform to the FBDG as much as, or better than omnivores. However, none of the dietary patterns complied with all the Belgian dietary recommendations.
Nutritional Adequacy of Vegetarian and Omnivore Dietary Intakes
Journal of Nutrition and Health Sciences, 2014
Vegetarian diets take numerous forms with the exclusion of animal products being a shared factor. The most common variation is a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet, which excludes meat, fish and poultry but includes dairy and eggs . A vegan diet excludes all animal products so that meat, poultry, fish, dairy, eggs, gelatin, honey, animal derived additives and colours obtained from animal skeletons are not consumed . A fruitarian diet is a modified, more controlled version of the vegan diet that is primarily associated with the consumption of raw or dried fruits thus making this the least common of all vegetarian diets consumed and the one most likely to be lacking in essential nutrients . Interestingly, some individuals consider themselves to be vegetarian despite consuming meat products and a recent survey even reports a daily meat intake of approximately 80 grams by some selfidentified vegetarians . Consequently, research concerning vegetarianism can be limited by the definition of a vegetarian diet and the motivating factors for being vegetarian [4].
PLOS ONE, 2020
Background Vegetarianism is an increasingly common practice worldwide. Despite good evidence from other countries regarding vegetarians' diet quality, data from the Brazilian population is still scarce. Objective To characterize the vegetarian Brazilian population and evaluate their diet quality compared to the general Brazilian population. Methods We performed a nationwide cross-sectional study using an online self-administered questionnaire, previously validated for the Brazilian population, to evaluate diet quality markers of vegetarians. The invitation to participate in the survey was spread nationwide, aimed at vegetarian communities. Individuals who considered themselves vegetarians and were at least 18 years old were eligible to participate. The results on regular intake and intake adequacy were compared among vegetarians and between genders using the Pearson's chisquare test. The body mass index (BMI) were analyzed by the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey post-hoc test. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test verified normality. All analyses considered bilateral hypotheses and a significance level of 5% (p <0.05). Results Brazilian vegetarians presented better diet quality markers, such as higher regular weekly intake and adequate daily intake of fruits and vegetables, and lower regular intake of soft drinks when compared to the general Brazilian population. Vegetarians also presented a proportionally higher consumption of natural foods and lower consumption of processed foods. Among vegetarians, a higher proportion of vegans showed positive results regarding
Nutrients, 2018
Traditionally, healthful diets and lifestyles have been examined only in relation to single nutrients, foods, or food groups in terms of dietary exposure. An alternative approach is to conceptualize an index based on vegetarian food pyramid guidelines as a measure of overall diet and lifestyle quality. Our objectives were to: (1) develop the Vegetarian Lifestyle Index (VLI); and (2) evaluate adherence to the Vegetarian Food Guide Pyramid (VFGP) among a low-risk population of Adventists. The index was based on the operationalization of 14 dietary and lifestyle components. All components were equally weighted. Higher score reflected greater adherence to the VFGP. The analytic sample ( = 90,057) comprised 47.7% non-vegetarians, 5.6% semi-, 10.1% pesco-, and 29.0% lacto-ovo-vegetarians, and 7.7% vegans, of which 1.1% were current smokers and 9.9% were alcohol consumers. Population mean VLI score was 7.43 (SD = 1.75) ranging from 1 to 12.5. Non-vegetarians (6.14; 95% confidence interval ...
Nutritional Status of Flemish Vegetarians Compared with Non-Vegetarians: A Matched Samples Study
Nutrients, 2010
The present study compares the nutritional status of vegetarian (V) with non-vegetarian (NV) subjects. A three-day food record and a health questionnaire were completed by 106 V and 106 NV matched for following characteristics: sex, age, BMI, physical activity, tobacco use and alcohol consumption. Total energy intake was not significantly different (men: V: 2,346 ± 685 kcal/d; NV: 2,628 ± 632 kcal/d; p = 0.078; women: V: 1,991 ± 539 kcal/d; NV: 1,973 ± 592 kcal/d; p = 0.849). Macronutrients intake differed significantly between the V and NV subjects for protein (men: V:12.7 ± 2.3 E%; NV:15.3 ± 4.5 E%; p = 0.003; women: V: 13.2 ± 2.3 E%; NV:16.0 ± 4.0 E%; p < 0.001), fat (men: V: 29.3 ± 8.4 E%; NV: 33.8 ± 5.3 E%; p = 0.010; women: V: 29.7 ± 6.9 E%; NV: 34.7 ± 9.0 E%; p < 0.001), and carbohydrate (men: V: 55.3 ± 10.1 E%; NV: 47.4 ± 6.9 E%; p < 0.001; women: V: 55.1 ± 7.6 E%; NV: 47.2 ± 8.2 E%; p < 0.001). The intake of most minerals was significantly different between the V and the NV subjects. V had a lower sodium intake, higher calcium, zinc, and iron intake compared to the NV subjects. Our results clearly indicate that a vegetarian diet can be adequate to sustain the
Nutrients, 2017
Background: There is a growing trend for vegetarian and vegan diets in many Western countries. Epidemiological evidence suggesting that such diets may help in maintaining good health is rising. However, dietary and sociodemographic characteristics of vegetarians and vegans are not well known. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to describe sociodemographic and nutritional characteristics of self-reported, adult vegetarians and vegans, compared to meat-eaters, from the French NutriNet-Santé study. Methods: Participants were asked if they were following a specific diet. They were then classified into three self-reported diet groups: 90,664 meat-eaters, 2370 vegetarians, and 789 vegans. Dietary data were collected using three repeated 24-h dietary records. Multivariable polytomic logistic regression models were perfomed to assess the association between the sociodemographic characteristics and type of diet. The prevalence of nutrient intake inadequacy was estimated, by sex and age for micronutrients, as well as by type of self-reported diet. Results: Compared with meat-eaters, vegetarians were more likely to have a higher educational level, whereas vegans had a lower education level. Compared with meat-eaters, vegetarians were more likely to be women, younger individuals, and to be self-employed or never employed rather than managerial staff. Vegetarians and vegans substituted animal protein-dense products with a higher consumption of plant protein-dense products (e.g., soy-based products or legumes). Vegetarians had the most balanced diets in terms of macronutrients, but also had a better adherence to French dietary guidelines. Vegetarians exhibited a lower estimated prevalence of inadequacies for micronutrients such as antioxidant vitamins (e.g., for vitamin E, 28.9% for vegetarian women <55 years of age vs. 41.6% in meat-eaters) while vegans exhibited a higher estimated prevalence of inadequacies for some nutrients, in particular vitamin B12 (69.9% in men and 83.4% in women <55 years of age), compared to meat-eaters. Conclusions: Our study highlighted that, overall, self-reported vegetarians and vegans may meet nutritional recommendations.
Nutrients
Background: This study assessed the possible dependencies between nutritional habits and body composition among subjects with different dietary habits. Materials: A total of 196 healthy (aged 18–50 yrs) participants were enrolled in the study and divided into 4 groups according to their diet: vegans-VEGAN (n = 53), lacto/ovo-vegetarians—VEGE (n = 52), pescatarians-PESCA (n = 28), and omnivores-OMN (n = 43). Methods: The Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) was used, and body composition was assessed on the In-Body120 analyzer. Results: Our result revealed in OMN + PESCA groups a higher average consumption frequency of sweets (p = 0.024), cheese/plant cheese (p < 0.001), eggs and egg dishes/egg substitutes (p < 0.001), butter, margarine/plant margarine (p < 0.001), cream /plant cream (p = 0.018), wine and cocktails (p = 0.028), vodka (p = 0.039) and lower of natural cottage cheese/tofu/tempeh (p < 0.001), vegetable oils (p = 0.036), legumes (p < 0.001) and nuts and seeds...
To assess adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MedD) by vegetarians and vegans compared to omnivores, we recruited an internet-based convenience sample of 565, 151 and 514 Israeli (>20 years) vegans, vegetarians and omnivores. Studies assessing vegetarians' and vegans' adherence to the Mediterranean Diet (MedD) are scarce. We recruited an internet-based convenience sample of 565, 151 and 514 Israeli vegans, vegetarians and omnivores, mostly female with a normal weight. We assessed their MedD scores (MedDS) and their food groups' consumption by two food frequency questionnaires: (1) Trichopoulou's MedDS (range 0-9); (2) Literature-based MedDS (LBMedDS) (range 0-18). We found that vegans tend to consume significantly more legumes, nuts, fruits and vegetables than omnivores. The multivariable-adjusted odds for high MedDS (a score !4) (compared to omnivores) assessed by Trichopoulou's score were: 32.35-fold higher in vegans (95% CI, 21.43-48.84) and 3.13-fold higher in vegetarians (95% CI, 2.06-4.76). Using the LBMedDS, vegans had 2.30-fold higher odds for high MedD adherence (a score !12) and vegetarians 1.66-fold higher odds compared to omnivores. In conclusion, we found a higher MedD adherence among vegans and vegetarians compared to omnivores.
Comparative Analysis of Flexitarian, Vegetarian and Vegan Diets
Élelmiszervizsgálati Közlemények
Background: Healthy eating is one of the main factors of maintaining health. Certain diets such as flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan can be associated with a healthy lifestyle. These diets have recently become more common. Aim: This review aims to summarize the characteristics of a flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan diet by comparing these specific nutritional trends through the processed literature. Methods: Electronic searches were performed on the Google Scholar database, Medline, PubMed, and Science Direct. The manuscript summarizes publications on flexitarian, vegetarian, and vegan diets. Furthermore, it examines the relationships between different nutritional trends as well. Result: The summarized vegan (100% plant-based diet), vegetarian (plant-rich diet), and flexitarian (plantbased with high-quality meat consumption diet) have become the focus of results through this literature. Conclusion: Flexitarian, vegetarian and vegan diets contribute to a healthy lifestyle and sustai...
PloS one, 2024
Background and objective The adoption of plant-based diets in recent years has increased the need for accurate assessments of dietary intake among vegans, vegetarians, semi-vegetarians, and omnivores. This study aimed at developing and validating a modular web-based food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ), the MY-VEG-FFQ. This FFQ was based on the original FFQ (O-FFQ) designed for the Israeli population and incorporates a skip algorithm tailored for different dietary patterns. Methods A convenience sample of 101 participants, recruited via social media, completed the MY-VEG FFQ, as well as a three-day food records, which served as the gold standard for this research. Relative validity of the new FFQ was evaluated by comparing nutrients with those in the three-day food records, using Pearson correlation coefficients, Bland-Altman plots, and cross-classification. The results were compared with 90 O-FFQs that previously had been completed by vegans. Results The validation analysis showed that nutrient-intake estimates were generally higher for the MY-VEG-FFQ than those of the three-day food records. Pearson correlation coefficients ranged between 0.25-0.63, indicating an acceptable agreement between the two tools. The proportion of participants with exact or adjacent quartile agreement was between 73%-82%. The Bland-Altman analysis revealed overestimation of nutrient intake via the MY-VEG-FFQ. Compared to the O-FFQ, vegans who completed the MY-VEG-FFQ reported consumption of more food items. Additionally, the MY-VEG-FFQ showed a significantly higher intake of most macro-and micronutrients.