Vegetarian Diets Are Safe for Children
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Children who follow vegetarian diets have similar growth and nutrition compared to children who eat meat, according to new research published in Pediatrics. Approximately 9,000 children aged 6 months to 8 years from the TARGet Kids! cohort study followed either a vegetarian diet or a nonvegetarian diet for 11 years. Researchers tracked height, weight, and blood levels for iron, vitamin D, and cholesterol. A vegetarian diet provided enough vitamin D and iron and did not hinder growth when compared to nonvegetarian diets. There was no association between eating a vegetarian diet and overweight or obesity.