Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42667434›Full record

Observational studyEuropean journal of nutrition2026

Growth parameters and IGF-1 axis biomarkers differ among omnivorous, vegetarian, and vegan children.

Inola E Allner, Wieland Kiess, Jürgen Kratzsch, Mandy Vogel

Registry-linked trialAbstract readObservational Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Observational study in European journal of nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT02550236 (Prospective Population-based Childhood Cohort Study in the Leipzig Area Investigating Genetic, Environmental, and Metabolic Factors and Their Association With the Development of Civilization Diseases), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

NCT02550236 recruitingnot on this map

Prospective Population-based Childhood Cohort Study in the Leipzig Area Investigating Genetic, Environmental, and Metabolic Factors and Their Association With the Development of Civilization Diseases

TypeobservationalSponsorUniversity of LeipzigRan2010 to 2026Enrolled7,000ConditionsChild Development
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Inola E AllnerLIFE Child, Center for Pediatric Research, University Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 27, 04103, Leipzig, Germany. inola.allner@gmail.com.
Wieland KiessLIFE Child, Center for Pediatric Research, University Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 27, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4118-9455
Jürgen KratzschInstitute of Laboratory Medicine, Clinical Chemistry, and Molecular Diagnostics (ILM), University of Leipzig, Liebigstrasse 27, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2679-5425
Mandy VogelLIFE Child, Center for Pediatric Research, University Hospital for Children and Adolescents, Faculty of Medicine, Leipzig University, Philipp-Rosenthal-Str. 27, 04103, Leipzig, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2051-1249

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWhereas an increasing number of families choose a vegan or a vegetarian diet, the effects of a plant-based nutrition on height and BMI of children and their IGF-1- and IGFBP-3-serum concentrations as measures for growth and development are not entirely described.

methods7344 serum samples were investigated from 2,508 healthy participants in the age of 3 months to 19 years. Anthropometric measurements as well as IGF-1-, and IGFBP-3-serum concentrations were compared between dietary groups using optimal 1:3 pair matching (from the age of 10).

resultsVegan children were shorter than vegetarians after adjustment for pubertal status (β = -0.59, p = 0.006) but the height of vegetarians was not different from omnivores. Vegans showed lower BMI-SDS than vegetarians, most prominently in the TS-adjusted model (β = -1.01, p = 0.009). Omnivores had the highest BMI-SDS (0.32 SDS). Vegans had lower IGF-1 levels than vegetarians and omnivores in the age-adjusted model (ß = -0.52, p = 0.031). Vegetarians exhibited lower IGF-1 concentrations than omnivores in age- and TS- adjusted models. Vegans showed significantly lower IGFBP-3-SDS than vegetarians in TS-adjusted models (β = -0.75, p = 0.042). IGFBP-3 values were lower in vegetarians than in omnivores after adjustment for age (β = -0.18, p = 0.005).

conclusionChildren following a vegan diet are significantly smaller and have a lower BMI than their peers. Both, vegetarian and vegan diets are associated with lower BMIs and lower IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 values. These findings highlight the potential relevance of dietary composition for growth childhood. CLINICAL

trial registrationLIFE Child is registered with Clinical Trials.gov (NCT02550236) since October 2010. https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02550236.

Indexed as

Child DevelopmentDiet, VeganDiet, VegetarianInsulin-Like Growth Factor IVegansVegetariansAdolescentBiomarkersBody HeightBody Mass IndexChildChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantInsulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3BiomarkersIGF1 protein, humanIGFBP3 protein, humanInsulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 3Insulin-Like Growth Factor IAdolescentBody growthDiet, veganDiet, vegetarianInsulin-like growth factor binding protein 3Insulin-like growth factor I

Identifiers

PMID42667434
PMCPMC13526060

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