The plant-based diet is not dangerous at any age. It requires planning, balance and, in some cases, supplements: just like an omnivorous diet.
A vegetarian diet does not constitute a health hazard at any age, although there are those who say that it is not recommended while the body is developing.
The body that is born and grows needs a certain supply of nutrients, which can be obtained both from the plant and animal world. There are millions of well-nourished people who have not eaten meat or fish in their lives, who are vegetarians by birth.
An incorrect vegetarian diet is just as dangerous as the wrong omnivorous diet.
The main cases of mortality in the world are related to dietary imbalances. In the so-called “first” world we die mainly from protein and fat overfeeding (heart disease and heart attacks, cancer, arteriosclerosis, diabetes, morbid obesity …) and in the “third” world people die because of food deficits; They are the two faces of malnutrition.
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However, there is a prejudice towards the vegetarian diet, which is specified in the advent of the risks it can represent for health if it is not done well, and that validates the usual diet however unbalanced it may be.
The reality is that all nutritional studies go in the direction of demonstrating that the vegetarian diet not only does not constitute a danger to health but, on the contrary, it is a healthy and preventive diet that shines up to 40% the possibility of suffering from various pathologies, such as heart disease and cancer.
There is a lot of medical literature that supports this statement, especially with regard to the reduction of the risk of cardiovascular and oncological ailments. You simply have to ensure that the diet is balanced.
PLANT FOODS WITH CALCIUM IDEAL FOR CHILDREN
Calcium is one of the most abundant minerals among vegetables. Seaweed, sesame, nuts, cereals, legumes… They are rich sources of calcium.
Its deficit is more the result of a loss (due to excesses of refined sweets and very acidifying diets) than of a lack of contribution.
It is also frequently due to the lack of fixation of this mineral in the bones by leading a sedentary life and little contact with the sun.
SHOULD IRON BE MONITORED IN A VEGETARIAN DIET FOR CHILDREN?
The same goes for iron. Vegetables contain iron in large quantities but it is absorbed in a smaller proportion than that from animal products.
This seems an inconvenience, in reality is nothing more than a mechanism of regulation or balance to avoid an overdose of this mineral in the body.
Studies done on vegetarians who eat correctly show iron levels within normal.
SUPPLEMENTING VITAMIN B12 IN CHILDREN: ONLY IN VEGAN DIETS
Vitamin B12 is the only point to keep in mind, especially if you follow a vegan diet, that is, without dairy or eggs. In this case it is advisable to do an analysis from time to time to control your blood levels, and if necessary, take a supplement containing vitamin B12.
If you are going to follow a classic vegetarian diet (with vegetable products, eggs and dairy) you can be completely calm for your health.
To make a smooth transition to the vegetarian diet it is also important to take into account the circumstances around you. For example, it would be convenient that if you live with other people, they understand your decision and respect it without questioning at all times what you eat or stop eating. If you want to make a change of diet progressively, first you could leave the sausages, pork, organ meats and seafood.