THE American Dietetic Association (ADA) has released an updated position on vegetarian diets that concludes that if well-managed, eating plans can be beneficial to adults, children, adolescents
and infants and can help prevent and treat chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes.
THE American Dietetic Association (ADA) has released an updated position on vegetarian diets that concludes that if well-managed, eating plans can be beneficial to adults, children, adolescents
and infants and can help prevent and treat chronic diseases including heart disease, cancer, obesity and diabetes.
ADA’s position, published in the July issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, represents the association’s official stance on vegetarian diets.
According to the ADA, “vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle. There are many reasons for the rising interest in vegetarian diets.
The number of vegetarians in the United States is expected to increase
over the next decade.” Vegetarian diets are often associated with health advantages
including lower blood cholesterol levels, lower risks of heart disease, lower blood pressure levels and lower risks of hypertension and type 2 diabetes, according to ADA.
“Vegetarians tend to have Vegetarian diets really are healthy a lower body mass index (BMI) and lower overall cancer rates. Vegetarian diets tend to be lower in saturated fat and cholesterol and have higher levels of dietary fibre, magnesium and potassium, vitamins C and E, folate, carotenoids, flavonoids and other phytochemicals. These nutritional differences may explain some of the health advantage of those following a varied, balanced vegetarian diet.”
The position paper draws on results from ADA’s evidence analysis process and information from the ADA Evidence Analysis Libraryto show that vegetarian diets can be nutritionally adequate in pregnancy and result in positive maternal and infant health outcomes.
Additionally, an evidencebased review showed a vegetarian diet is associated with a lower risk of death from ischemic heart disease. A section in ADA’s paper on vegetarian diets and cancer has been significantly expanded to provide details on cancer-protective factors in vegetarian diets.
An expanded section on osteoporosis includes roles of fruits, vegetables, soy products, protein, calcium, vitamins D and K and potassium in bone health. “Registered dietitians can provide information about key
nutrients, modify vegetarian diets to meet the needs of those with dietary restrictions due to disease or allergies and supply guidelines to meet needs of clients in different areas of the life cycle,” the authors
said.
Priya Seetal is a registered
dietitian and a
nutrition information officer
