vegetarianism dangerous for children? - Response from Brenda Davis, RD

[Guest guest]

My husband forwarded the one of the articles (there were at least five

in the UK and one in Austalia) based on Lindsay Allen's faulty

research to Brenda Davis yesterday. Here is Brenda Davis's response:

 

I would like to take this opportunity to respond to the statement by

Lindsay Allen, from the University of California at Davis, " There is

absolutely no question that it's unethical for parents to bring up their

children as strict vegans. " Dr. Allen contends that vegan diets are

nutritionally deficient and will delay or permanently impair development

of children. Her allegations are based on a study of 554 school children

in Kenya, in which malnourished children fed energy-deficient diets were

divided into four groups - one that serves as a control, and the other

three that have beef, milk or oil added to their diet. Not surprisingly,

adding animal foods to their diet improved growth and development of

these children. If the researchers really wanted to prove the superiority

of animal foods over plant foods, they might have provided the control

group with protein-rich plant foods such as tofu or soy burger crumbles.

This would seem to me a more ethical choice, considering the fact that

these children were suffering from malnutrition. However, doing so would

have demonstrated that it is not vegan diets that are inadequate, but

rather energy, fat, and protein deficient diets. That would have defeated

the purpose of the organization which funded the research, namely the

National Cattlemen's Beef Association (US).

 

 

 

The question of adequacy of a vegan diet is one that has been thoroughly

addressed in scientific literature. The position of the American Dietetic

Association, according to their most current position paper on vegetarian

diets, is as follows:

 

 

" It is the position of the American Dietetic Association (ADA) that

appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, are nutritionally

adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of

certain diseases. " The position paper goes on to add, " Appropriate

planned vegan and lacto-ovo vegetarian diets satisfy the nutrient needs

of infants, children, and adolescents and promote normal growth. "

 

 

 

The American Dietetic Association has long been regarded as a very

reliable and conservative professional organization, and their position

statements are made with great attention to research. There is solid

scientific evidence that vegan diets can be completely adequate when

appropriately planned. Two classic studies were done in the late 1980's

- one in Great Britain and the other in the United States. Dr. Tom

Sanders carried out the first study in Great Britain in 1988. This study

followed 39 vegan children for over 20 years. Dr. Sanders determined that

these children grew normally, although they did tend to by slightly

lighter than there omnivorous peers. Dr. Connell did the second study in

Summertown Tennessee in 1989. This was also a long-term study looking at

404 vegan children. This study found that the vegan children had a

slower growth curve than omnivorous children, but that they caught up by

the age of 10 years. The vegan children developed completely normally -

physically and intellectually. In both cases the authors conclude that

provided the vegan diet is appropriately designed, it can meet all of the

nutritional requirements of infants and children.

 

 

 

There is no doubt that poorly designed diets result in malnutrition -

whether the diets are vegan or omnivorous. Constructing a nutritionally

adequate vegan diet has never been easier. Consuming a wide variety of

legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds, and ensuring sufficient

calories, and reliable sources of vitamins B12 and D (several foods are

fortified with these nutrients) will do the trick for most people. There

are veggie " meats " that provide similar quality and quantity of protein

and trace nutrients as meat, and non-dairy milks that provide similar

amounts of calcium, vitamin D and B12 as cow's milk. The plant-based

alternatives come packaged with protective antioxidants and

phytochemicals, instead of saturated fat and cholesterol. In a place

where over 70% of the population will die of chronic degenerative

diseases that are largely induced by low fiber, animal-centered,

processed food diets, vegan diets are an attractive alternative. In fact,

eating a plant-based diet will cut your risk in half. A standard

North American diet of cheeseburgers and fries, presweetened cereals,

potato chips and soda pop is a far greater threat to health than a

well-planned vegan diet will ever be.

 

 

 

Brenda Davis, Registered Dietitian

 

Former Chair of the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group of the

American Dietetic Association