Debating Vegan Diets for Kids
Veganism has been on the rise for the past years in the U.S., with people trying to become and stay healthy. Veganism is a plant and seed-based diet with no animal products included. There are a variety of reasons why people become vegans, for example, they want to become healthier. Some people even think that it is cruel to raise animals just to later kill them for our own benefit. This makes some people abstain from consuming products made of or with them. Another reason can be wanting to add less to global pollution and global warming. in the article “Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets”, written by Vesanto, Melina et al “Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with considerably less environmental damage" Adults can choose to become vegans and eat a vegan diet of their own will. But how does that apply to their children; should they also be vegans for the rest of their lives like their parents? And is having a vegan diet from a young age better or can it bring negative effects on them? These questions and other similar to them have also been increasingly talked about; people are debating whether children having a vegan diet is healthy for a developing child. Of course, vegans on one side believe that having a vegan helps improve your health, so to them the earlier they become vegan the better. But there are those who disagree saying that being a vegan can actually be unhealthy and during the period when they are growing and developing it is not good to have them on such a diet. These are good points from both sides however both are missing something that will benefit the children more that to reject or adhere to a diet that is the same for all that only has restrictions for reasons that the child may not agree with or cannot agree with because of their age.
First Perspective: Yes, a vegan diet can negatively affect the health of children.
People that think that a vegan diet brings negative effects to the children's health have various arguments against the those who agree with giving children a vegan diet is beneficial for them. One example that is given in the article “Plant-Based Diets in Pediatric Subjects: Heart-Healthy Option or Dangerous Choice?” Written by Maria Elena Capra and others. Is that infants with vegan parents usually have a greater breastfeeding duration. It is stated that "Recently, a 6-month longer breastfeeding duration has been reported in infants on vegetarian or vegan diets compared to those following an omnivorous diet". Most people would see nothing particularly wrong with this, however, this can be dangerous for the child as the article states, "Prolonged breastfeeding may further enhance the risk of specific micro- and macronutrient deficiencies in infants following PBDs during CF. Potential deficiencies may include protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, iodine, zinc, iron, and omega-3 fatty acids" (Maria Elena Capra et al). Not having enough vitamin B12 is bad because it is used by the body in the nervous system and nerve cells. At the same time there could also be a deficiency in the well-known Iodine, it is in our salt so we get enough of it. According to the National Institutes of Health, “The body needs iodine to make thyroid hormones. These hormones control the body’s metabolism and many other important functions. The body also needs thyroid hormones for proper bone and brain development during pregnancy and infancy”. There can even be a deficiency in iron, a metal that anyone with experience with children, especially infants, knows that they need since it is added to their food to make sure they are getting enough of it. Even after the infant stage of life Iron and even zinc can be found in some cereals one example being cheerios who has both listed as mineral nutrients. These essential nutrients can be easily obtained by someone with an omnivore diet because for example; according to the National institures of health "Fish, meat, poultry, eggs, milk, and other dairy products contain vitamin B12.” so they do not see a point in going vegan if a lot of problems that can affect the children’s health can be avoided by just not being vegan and opt for other options like not being vegan or even diets like the Lacto-Ovo vegetarian that while it does not allow meat it does allow for milk and eggs where the vitamin B12 can be found.
Second perspective: being a vegan is beneficial for children
This perspective is mainly held by vegans themselves because of their first-hand experience with veganism. One of these people is Melina Vesanto who has been a vegan since 1993. She and others wrote "Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets". In this article they concluded that “Well-designed vegetarian diets provide adequate nutrient intakes for all stages of the lifecycle and can also be useful in the therapeutic management of some chronic diseases”. They are arguing that they can get adequate nutrient intake through these diets. However, they do say that they need to be planned very well to do so. Some of these chronic diseases that are talked about in the article are type 2 diabetes and ischemic heart disease. “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” (Melina Vesanto et al.). These two are very prevalent in the United States and a reduced risk is something that inspires people to start their children on vegan diets as soon as possible especially those with disposed family history of these. These benefits come from the foods that are in vegan diets like vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. Doctors are always recommending people to eat these foods, and vegan diets are mainly made up of these types of foods. Those are not all the benefits that come with vegan diets. Low lipoprotein cholesterol level is another benefit that you get from having a vegan diet. “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” (Melina Vesanto et al.). This type of cholesterol is the type of cholesterol that doctors will tell you that it is usually high and that it should be brought down and is called bad cholesterol.
Similarities and differences:
Of course there are differences between both sides, that is why an argument exists in the first place. A major one being the people who back up each side, on one side there are vegans who have firsthand experience with being a vegan and how to properly plan for a vegan diet that will give the children the nutrients they need to be healthy. “Well-designed vegetarian diets provide adequate nutrient intakes for all stages of the lifecycle” (Melina Vesanto et al.) On the other side there are those who might be a little skeptical of the idea of veganism because it is different. There are also those who have done studies that conclude that a badly designed vegan diet will not have enough nutrients for children's health. Another difference is that Capra, Maria Elena, et al. side do think that supplementation is ok; however, others think that it is too much supplementation to have in a diet. “A vegan diet is ‘not recommended for infants, children, and adolescents due to the inevitable risk of multiple nutritional deficiencies without supplementation,’ according to the French-speaking Pediatric Hepatology, Gastroenterology, and Nutrition Group” (Capra, Maria Elena, et al). While there is easier to find arguments for the opposition side; a lot of them are people that have little experience in this field and just do a little research without going in depth into it. There are, however, similarities between the two sides where they can agree. Perhaps the most important aspect of this argument is that they both want what is best for their children and their health. That is what this argument is all about the children’s health and well-being. Another similarity is that the diets for both vegans and non-vegans need to be well-designed to make sure that they do meet the required nutrients to be healthy. Both sides can have poorly designed dietary plans that can lead children to become unhealthy. Both sides also agree that being a vegan does help lessen the burden on the earth according to Capra there is “growing evidence that environmental degradation caused by greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution agents, as well as the fact that the amount of resources used to produce plant-based foods is substantially lower than that of animal-based foods”(et al.) Vesanto et al. also agree stating that there is “growing evidence that environmental degradation caused by greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution agents, as well as the fact that the amount of resources used to produce plant-based foods is substantially lower than that of animal-based foods”
Personal opinion and compromise:
I think that while I am more personally inclined to the opposing side of this argument, I do like the benefits of a vegan diet. If there was a way that both can be true, it would be great. A compromise between the two could be that as an answer to this question we have a case-by-case basis and not a general yes or no answer; because it is not that simple. Some children may be able to be healthy with a vegan diet, but others may not be able to. Each person's health should be monitored, and their diet should be changed accordingly to fit their personal needs. Personal health needs should come before the belief that a certain diet is good 0r bad for you. Most doctors already agree that the meat portion of your diet/ plate should be a quarter of what you eat. While the rest should be fruits, vegetables, and grains. If more people adhered to this type of diet it would lead to a decrease in animals raised for meat and other products; leading to less pollution like what the vegans want. This would also satisfy the non-vegans because they would still eat animal products only in a smaller portion size. Lastly, a very important part in this is the child's opinion on this topic that will mainly affect them. Figuring out what their likes and dislikes are and teaching them the benefits and risks associated with a vegan diet so that they can have a voice of their own. In the end each child is different and has different tastes and thoughts so the parents should treat this differently for each child according to their specific case and what their nutritionist says they need.
Works cited
Vesanto, Melina et al. “Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets” science direct //www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212267216311923via%3Dihub.
Capra, Maria Elena, et al. “Plant-Based Diets in Pediatric Subjects: Heart-Healthy Option or Dangerous Choice?” National library of health
National institutes of health, “Iodine Fact Sheet for Consumers”
National institutes of health, “Vitamin B12 Fact Sheet for Consumers”
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