New study Is the vegetarian and vegan diet healthy in children and adolescents?

Vegan or vegetarian also for children?
Is the vegetarian or vegan diet suitable for children and adolescents? Do you get enough nutrients with a predominantly plant-based diet? How healthy is the abandonment of animal foods for children? These and other questions arise more and more parents. But reliable information they seek in vain - because so far, the topic has not been sufficiently researched and there are contradictory recommendations. This is about to change: the Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Herdecke, the University of Witten-Herdecke, the Fachhochschule des Mittelstands (FHM), the University of Bonn, the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and the Filderklinik in Filderstadt-Bonlanden are working on a joint nutrition study on vegetarian and vegan nutrition of children and adolescents, the VeChi-Youth study (Vegetarian and Vegan Children and Youth Study).

They are becoming more and more: The number of vegetarians and vegans living in Germany is steadily increasing. The numbers of the ProVeg Germany e.V. (formerly the Vegetarian Federation Germany e.V.) prove that it is no longer a trend phenomenon. The association currently assumes that about ten percent of the population, about eight million people, are vegetarians. According to the results of a survey by the market research institute Skopos, 1.3 million people are purely vegetarian, so about 1.6 percent of Germans are vegans.

Vegan is in. But is the diet healthy even for children? (Image: Oksana Kuzmina / fotolia.com)

In both diets: rising. Not only adults choose this form of nutrition: Even children and adolescents eat more vegetarian or vegan. Many parents in this case are unsure how healthy the meat-free diet is and whether the nutritional care of their children is ensured. There are hardly any reliable data that could show, for example, whether there are potential problems or out of which consulting concepts could emerge.

This is why the Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Herdecke, the University of Witten-Herdecke, the Fachhochschule des Mittelstands (FHM), the University of Bonn, the Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, and the Filderstadt Clinic in Filderstadt-Bonlanden have now started together with a nutritional study: the VeChi-Youth Study (Vegetarian and Vegan Children and Youth Study).

Based on the results of the study scientifically supported and practical recommendations for a vegetarian, vegan and mixed diet diet of children and adolescents will be derived. "Unfortunately, we often see children who have suffered health problems from malnutrition. That is why it is so important for us to use this study to obtain reliable scientific data that enable us to provide practical nutritional tips for a safe and healthy diet, "said Prof. Alfred Längler from the University of Witten / Herdecke, who runs the study center in Herdecke heads.

Currently, the study initiators of the VeChi-Youth study are still looking for participants between the ages of six to 18 years. Participating families should weigh and log all foods and drinks they have eaten and drunk for three consecutive days, and complete a health and lifestyle questionnaire. In addition, body height, weight and skin fold thicknesses are collected, blood pressure is measured and blood and urine samples are taken. This requires a one-time examination in one of the three study centers in Herdecke, Berlin or Filderstadt. As a thank you, all participants will receive a one-time allowance of 50 Euro as well as the evaluation of the nutritional protocol and the results of the blood and urine examination. Especially non-vegetarian children and adolescents are addressed.

More information about the course of the study and the online registration on www.vechi-youth-studie.de and on www.gemeinschaftskrankenhaus.de