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Nutrition and bone health in vegans and omnivores
Project
Project code: BfR-LMS-08-1322-670
Contract period: 01.08.2016
- 31.12.2017
Purpose of research: Inventory & Assessment
Background: The interest in a vegan nutrition has steadily increased in recent years in Germany. The Association of Vegetarians (VEBU) writes on its website that about 7.8 million vegetarians and 900,000 vegans are living in Germany. The Institute for Demoskopy Allensbach (IfD) and the market and opinion research institute YouGov confirm this development. Even if these numbers are estimated to be too positive, a trend towards vegetarian and vegan diet in Germany can not to be ignored. On the one hand, positive effects of a vegetarian and vegan diet are described in particular with regard to the development of an obesity and type 2 diabetes (Le and Sabate 2014). In a recent comprehensive review, it has been shown that a vegetarian diet is associated with a decreased risk of ischemic heart disease and cancer, and a vegan diet is also associated with a reduced risk of cancer (Dinu, Abbate et al., 2016). On the other hand, both forms of nutrition, but especially the vegan diet, are indispensable for the supplementation of certain vitamins and trace elements. This knowledge still does not appear to exist among all vegan-eating people. For example, in a focus group interviews (of the BfR) with 42 people who had been vegan for at least one year, 21% of the interviewees reported that you did not take any supplements. When asked about a possible vitamin deficiency, 95% reported that their own vegan diet was at risk for vitamin B12 deficiency and 36% that there was a risk of vitamin D deficiency, but other vitamins and micronutrients were only suggested by one person ( 2%). A recent study by 22 Finnish vegans with 19 age- and gender-matched controls showed that vegans exhibited more favorable fatty acid profiles in cardiometabolic diseases, but also showed significantly lower vitamin B12, vitamin D and selenium levels compared to the controls (Elorinne, Alfthan et al., 2016). The zinc uptake was also decreased, but serum concentrations were not shown in this study. In a recent work of a cross-sectional study from Switzerland based on 100 omnivors, 53 vegans and 53 vegetarians, however, it was observed that vegans in particular had significantly reduced zinc levels and, by definition, 47% of vegans lacked zinc (Schupbach, Wegmuller et al 2015). In the Finnish study, 91% of vegans and 78% of omnivors used supplements (especially multivitamin, B12, vitamin D and calcium). This is clearly above the German average. There are no current data on the supply of vitamins and micronutrients in vegans in Germany. The study presented here is therefore intended to generate first data on the vitamin and micronutrient status as well as to answer toxicological questions in vegan and omnivorous nutrition. Aim Bone health, status of vitamins, micronutrients, macronutrients and contaminants as well as supplementation habits in middle-aged adults with vegan and omnivorous diet in Germany (Berlin) will be obtained. In addition to the comparison of the two groups with each other in the above-mentioned exposures, correlations between selected micronutrients and other metabolic markers as well as bone health are also to be investigated. Dinu, M., et al. (2016).
Section overview
Subjects
- Nutritional behaviour
