Pros and Cons of Vegetarian Eating in Adolescents

Beneficial effects of vegetarian eating during adolescence:

Well-planned vegetarian diets are often associated with various health advantages, such as:

• Providing higher levels of dietary fiber, which helps prevent constipation in the short term and reduces the risk of colon cancer and type 2 diabetes in the long term.
• Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and decreased intake of sweets and salty snacks.
• Lower levels of saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, and blood pressure, along with higher levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids. This results in a reduced risk of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and consequently, heart disease.
• Obesity prevention. Children and adolescents with normal BMI values are more likely to remain within the normal range into adulthood, leading to a significant reduction in disease risk.
• Greater content of antioxidant nutrients. They provide higher levels of magnesium and potassium, vitamins C and E, folic acid, carotenoids, flavonoids, and other phytochemicals.
• Reduced LDL-cholesterol levels and potential anti-tumor effects.
• Average protein intake in vegetarian adolescents generally meets or exceeds recommendations, provided caloric intake is adequate, and supplies all essential amino acids. Protein needs across all ages, including athletes, are adequately met with appropriate vegetarian diets.
• Vegetarian diets during childhood and adolescence can contribute to establishing healthy eating patterns for life.

Harmful effects of vegetarian diets during adolescence:

• Vegetarian diets in adolescence pose energy, protein, and certain mineral intake issues, especially in strict vegan diets, while lacto-vegetarian or ovo-lacto-vegetarian diets tend to be more balanced:
• Lower caloric content. Energy intake might be insufficient due to lower caloric density per volume compared to animal fats. Staples like rice and beans, common vegetarian foods, are low in calories.
• These foods can also be more difficult to digest in larger quantities.
• Planning nutritionally adequate diets for young vegetarians may require attention to nutrients like iron, zinc, vitamin B12, calcium, vitamin D, and omega-3 fatty acids.
• The protein needs of vegan children might be slightly higher (by 15-20% of VCT) to ensure optimal growth, as higher fiber content decreases amino acid bioavailability due to differences in digestibility and protein quality.
• While animal proteins contain all essential amino acids, plant proteins often lack one (the so-called limiting amino acid). Cereals generally lack lysine, whereas legumes contain methionine and threonine as limiting amino acids. Vegetarian adolescents should learn to combine plant proteins properly to achieve a complete amino acid profile.
• Excess carbohydrates in vegetarians can lead to issues related to plant foods containing phytates (especially in whole grains) and oxalates (spinach, nuts, peanuts), which can reduce mineral absorption at the intestinal level.
• Plant-based diets do not contain cholesterol and have a high ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fats. When taken to the extreme, this can lead to high HDL-cholesterol levels, paradoxically increasing cardiovascular risk.
• A vegetarian or vegan diet does not seem to increase the risk of eating disorders; however, some individuals with pre-existing eating disorders might choose such diets to restrict their food intake.