Unplanned vegan diet negatively affects children’s development
Expressing his views on children’s vegan nutrition, Child Health and Diseases Specialist Dr. Engin Kutay said: “In some studies, obesity, atherosclerotic heart disease are less common in vegans, and they also have a healthier gut flora. We can’t talk about adequate and balanced nutrition if his diet is not well planned and he doesn’t get the vitamin and take mineral supplements that he can only get from animal foods.
“Unplanned vegan diet hinders child development”
Pediatrics and Children’s Diseases Dr. Engin Kutay also provided information about the studies being conducted around the world on vegan diets. Dr. Kutay, according to the results of the study; He stated that vegan-fed children enter puberty later, and vegan-fed children develop backwards without proper planning. Dr Engin Kutay said: “It can be seen that the development and height of children on maladaptive vegan diets are lower than those of their peers. But even if some researchers argue that vegan diets may delay puberty and height development can be achieved at the end of adolescence more research needs to be done If a vegan diet is to be made, the diet needs to be modified Eating foods such as dried beans, peas, lentils, peanuts and soy can provide protein intake , but they have to eat bigger portions than non-vegan kids because plants don’t always have the same protein content and bioavailability as in milk, meat, eggs. Iron from plants comes from animal foods. The bioavailability is not so much as it is absorbed. Therefore iron-deficiency anemia is common among vegans.To balance this, you should n extra iron and vitamin C, which increase iron absorption, are taken with foods such as many citrus fruits.
For vitamin B12 deficiency from animal foods, vitamins containing B12 and some fermented foods can be found in small amounts in foods such as spirulina nori and chlorella algae and should be added to the diet. Since there are oxalates and phytates in plants as calcium, they prevent absorption of calcium. Spinach, beets and Swiss chard are high in calcium and high oxalates make them a poor source of calcium. Chinese cabbage, cabbage and turnip are good sources of calcium because of their low oxalate content. Soy, white beans, almonds, tahini, figs and oranges are also good sources of calcium. EPA, News Agency, omega-3 fatty acids are abundant in cold water fish. For vegans, supplements must be taken from the outside. It is also found in foods such as flax and chia seeds, canola, hemp and walnuts. In addition, since our country is above the 36th parallel, the sun’s rays come in parallel, which cannot produce enough vitamin D from the skin. Also those who are vegan will be more vitamin D deficient, in this case it is necessary to take vitamin D supplements,” he said.
“Vitamin and mineral deficiencies in vegan-fed children”
Giving information about the metabolism of vegan-fed children, Dr. Engin Kutay warned the families. Dr. Kutay said, “Children’s vegan diet can cause calcium and vitamin D deficiency, iron deficiency, zinc deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency and EPA, News Agency, omega-3 fatty acids. If we explain these in a few sentences, vitamin D and calcium metabolism negatively affect bone metabolism in children.and can cause short stature and growth retardation compared to their peers.Iron element is very important for children’s development,symptoms such as anemia and mental retardation may occur with deficiency.Zinc deficiency can also cause growth retardation Vitamin B12 deficiency can cause motor and mental retardation.EPA, News Agency, omega-3 fatty acids are very important in brain development.In addition, children need to eat less and have a small stomach, so they need to get maximum efficiency from the least food, which can not be achieved with a vegan diet alone.Because they grow rapidly during childhood, ve ganistic nutrition are insufficient and cause a deficiency of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, from a balanced diet we can not,” he said.
When should babies switch to solid foods?
OFM Antalya Hospital Pediatric Specialist Dr. Engin Kutay also provided information about the transition period to supplementary feeding and how it should be fed during the transition period to supplementary feeding. Kutay concluded his speech with the following words:
“Babies should only be fed breast milk for the first 6 months and their weight and development should be monitored once a month under the supervision of a paediatrician. After 6 months additional food should be started and not two new foods at the same time. Babies who are fed with breast milk but have a developmental delay or only receive formula milk From the 4th month you can start with supplementary nutrition As mentioned earlier calcium and vitamin D deficiency, iron deficiency, zinc deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency and EPA, News Agency and omega-3 -fatty acids can develop in children who are only fed with plants.