It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits for the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes. Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage. Vegetarians and vegans are at reduced risk of certain health conditions, including ischemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, certain types of cancer, and obesity. Low intake of saturated fat and high intakes of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, soy products, nuts, and seeds (all rich in fiber and phytochemicals) are characteristics of vegetarian and vegan diets that produce lower total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels and better serum glucose control. These factors contribute to reduction of chronic disease. Vegans need reliable sources of vitamin B-12, such as fortified foods or supplements.
www.jandonline.org/article/…/abstract
JasSmith@sh.itjust.works 11 hours ago
The German Nutrition Society, DGE (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung) explicitly does not recommend a vegan diet for pregnant women, infants, children, or adolescents, citing insufficient data for these groups.
The German Society for Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Polish National Consultant in the Field of Paediatrics and Spanish Paediatric Association do not recommend vegan diets during infancy or childhood.
The Swiss Federal Commission for Nutrition does not recommend vegan diets for pregnant women, infants, children, or older adults due to concerns about nutritional deficiencies in the absence of sufficient evidence.
The Belgium’s Royal Academy of Medicine advised that children, teenagers, pregnant women, and breastfeeding mothers should not follow a vegan diet. They described it as “restrictive” and potentially leading to developmental and nutritional issues if not carefully managed.
The Spanish Paediatric Association advises against a vegan diet for infants and young children.
The Italian Society of Preventive and Social Pediatrics (SIPPS), together with the Italian Federation of Pediatricians (FIMP) and the Italian Society of Perinatal Medicine (SIMP) issued a joint position paper which concluded that vegan diets cannot be recommended for children because the diet leads to deficiencies in vitamin B12, calcium, DHA, iron and vitamin D. When these nutrients are missing, it negatively affects children’s growth and neurocognitive development.