ArticleEMBO molecular medicine2021
Vegan diet in young children remodels metabolism and challenges the statuses of essential nutrients.
Article in EMBO molecular medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06669819 (Can Dietary Supplements be Linked to a Vegan Diet and Health Risk Modulation During Vegan Pregnancy, Infancy and Early Childhood), which is not on this map. Cited by 50 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Can Dietary Supplements be Linked to a Vegan Diet and Health Risk Modulation During Vegan Pregnancy, Infancy and Early Childhood
Who cites it
50 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 101 citations in OpenAlex.
- Vegan diet and nutritional status in infants, children and adolescents: A position paper based on a systematic search by the ESPGHAN Nutrition Committee.Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition · 2025Pooled it
- Vegetarian Diet and Dietary Intake, Health, and Nutritional Status in Infants, Children, and Adolescents: A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2025Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Nutrient Intake and Status in Children and Adolescents Consuming Plant-Based Diets Compared to Meat-Eaters: A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2023Pooled it
- Assessment of vitamin A, vitamin BEuropean journal of nutrition · 2025Trial
- Sustainable Plant-Based Diets in Children and Adolescents: Current Evidence on Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiometabolic Health.Current nutrition reports · 2026Review
- Laboratory Monitoring of Nutritional Deficiencies in Children Following Restrictive Diets: A Narrative Review and Risk-Based Considerations.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Review
- Iodine intake and its association with sociodemographic and dietary factors in Australian preschool children.European journal of nutrition · 2026Article
- Food sources of macro- and micronutrients in young children and adults following vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous diets.European journal of nutrition · 2026Article
- Article
- Usual nutrient intake and adherence to dietary reference values among 3-6-year-old Finnish preschoolers.Food & nutrition research · 2026Article
- Review
- Dietary intake, nutritional status, and health outcomes among vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous Czech families.Communications medicine · 2025Article
- Beyond Protein Building Blocks: A Review of Biological Roles and Therapeutic Potential of Free Amino Acids.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025Review
- Bone and mineral metabolism in 2-7-year-old Finnish children and their caregivers following vegan, vegetarian, and omnivorous diets.European journal of nutrition · 2025Article
- Selenium, zinc, and copper intake and status of vegetarian, vegan, and omnivore children and adolescents: results of the VeChi youth study.European journal of nutrition · 2025Article
- Achieving High Protein Quality Is a Challenge in Vegan Diets: A Narrative Review.Nutrition reviews · 2025Review
- Nutrient intakes and metabolomic profiles associated with animal source energy percentage in children's diets.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Interplay Between Diet, Branched-Chain Amino Acids, and Myokines in Children: Vegetarian Versus Traditional Eating Habits.Nutrients · 2025Article
- Considering the nutritional benefits and health implications of red meat in the era of meatless initiatives.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
11 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Vegan diets are gaining popularity, also in families with young children. However, the effects of strict plant-based diets on metabolism and micronutrient status of children are unknown. We recruited 40 Finnish children with a median age 3.5 years-vegans, vegetarians, or omnivores from same daycare centers-for a cross-sectional study. They enjoyed nutritionist-planned vegan or omnivore meals in daycare, and the full diets were analyzed with questionnaires and food records. Detailed analysis of serum metabolomics and biomarkers indicated vitamin A insufficiency and border-line sufficient vitamin D in all vegan participants. Their serum total, HDL and LDL cholesterol, essential amino acid, and docosahexaenoic n-3 fatty acid (DHA) levels were markedly low and primary bile acid biosynthesis, and phospholipid balance was distinct from omnivores. Possible combination of low vitamin A and DHA status raise concern for their visual health. Our evidence indicates that (i) vitamin A and D status of vegan children requires special attention; (ii) dietary recommendations for children cannot be extrapolated from adult vegan studies; and (iii) longitudinal studies on infant-onset vegan diets are warranted.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.