As a health practitioner who sees large numbers of people on plant-based diets, I’m frequently struck by the diligence of vegan and vegetarian parents in ensuring they they are meeting their children’s nutritional needs. Not a week goes by without me seeing a vegan couple planning a pregnancy, or a vegan woman who is already pregnant, or parents who have ‘converted’ to a plant-based diet.
All of them have the same questions and concerns: how can I make sure my child is getting enough protein, iron and calcium; will my child grow normally; and how do I respond to the barrage of questions and unsolicited advice from my doctor/baby health nurse/mother-in-law/personal trainer/nosy neighbour?
In my experience, parents on plant-based diets pay far more attention to the nutritional quality of their children’s diets than parents who eat conventionally, and as a nutrition professional, I support them 100% in going the extra mile for their kids’ health. That’s what all responsible parents ought to be doing.
But the irony is, the parents that I see should be less concerned about raising their children on a well-planned plant-based diet, adequately supplemented with vitamin B12, than their omnivorous family members and friends should be about feeding their kids meat, eggs and dairy products.
According to a recently-published meta-analysis (that is, an analysis of data from previously-published studies) jointly conducted by the University of Otago in New Zealand and the World Health Organization’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, a diet high in saturated fats (which occur mostly in animal products) raises total and LDL cholesterol and blood pressure even in childhood and can begin the process of clogging of the arteries with fatty plaque (atherosclerosis).
Conversely, when parents act on advice to lower their children’s intake of saturated fats, their total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure are highly significantly reduced, without any negative outcomes on their iron status, growth and development – contrary to the assertions of the Weston A Price Foundation acolytes who assert that dietary saturated fat is somehow necessary for children’s brain development. (Anyone who has studied biochemistry knows that we can make all the saturated fat we need from a building block called acetate, which is ubiquitous in our bodies, and therefore have no dietary requirement for saturated fat.)
What this means is that the cheese, yoghurt, ham, beef, chicken and eggs that most Australian parents are feeding their kids every day, with the best of intentions, are laying the foundation stones for the atherosclerotic process which is the major contributor to the leading causes of death in Australia: ischaemic heart disease (angina and heart attack), dementia and cerebrovascular disease (stroke).
And on the other hand, parents who feed their children a diet of whole natural plant foods, which are naturally low in saturated fat (with a few exceptions, such as coconut), are laying the foundations for a healthy cardiovascular system. What a legacy to bestow upon your precious children!
As the authors of the meta-analysis point out,
Although cardiovascular and coronary heart diseases typically present later in life, atherosclerotic lesions in the aorta and coronary arteries can begin to appear in childhood, and are positively associated with dyslipidaemia [unhealthy cholesterol and triglyceride levels] and other CVD [cardiovascular disease] risk factors. Elevated total and LDL cholesterol in childhood are, in turn, associated with an increase in CVD risk factors in adulthood including thickening of the carotid artery intima-media, a marker of subclinical atherosclerosis and predictor of future cardiovascular disease.
The meta-analysis included 21 separate articles based on 8 independent trials, in which a total of 2430 children and adolescents aged between 2 to 19 years of age were enrolled. The studies were conducted in the US, Australia, China, Finland and Spain, representing a diverse range of ethnicities and dietary patterns. Parents received advice on how to lower their children’s intake of saturated fat either directly from health professionals, or via a home-based self-education program, and in some studies, foods low in saturated fat were provided either for home use or in a preschool setting.
Total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and diastolic blood pressure all dropped when children’s saturated fat intake went down, while one study which reported on insulin sensitivity also found that this improved when saturated fat intake dropped.
Interestingly, LDL cholesterol levels dropped in even the children who had so-called ‘normal’ levels, when they reduced their saturated fat intake.
Most people don’t realise that the reference range for cholesterol levels is set by population norms, not what is physiologically normal for human beings. This means that different population groups have different reference ranges; for example, the Tarahumara Indians of northern Mexico typically have total serum cholesterol levels of around 3.1 to 3.5, which would be considered ‘low’ in Australia.
Considering that the Tarahumara, whose diet primarily consists of beans, corn and squash, don’t suffer high blood pressure or heart disease as they get older, the most sensible conclusion is that it’s not a good idea to have a ‘normal’ cholesterol level in a society in which it’s also ‘normal’ to die of cardiovascular disease!
How low should we go when it comes to saturated fat? According to the authors,
the greatest reduction in cholesterol occurred when SFA intake was less than 10% of total energy intake.
What does that mean in practical terms? Well, a boiled egg derives 16% of its energy from saturated fat; leg ham 17%; blade steak 18%; chocolate Tiny Teddies 19%; milk chocolate 31%; reduced fat Greek yoghurt 40%; and cheddar cheese 47%. It’s pretty difficult to keep a child’s saturated fat intake below 10% when these foods are a regular part of the diet.
On the other other hand, plant foods are strikingly low in saturated fat. For example, brown rice is less than 1% saturated fat; chick peas 2%; rolled oats 4%; walnuts 6%; and most fruits and vegetables have virtually no saturated fat.
There are a few plant foods to watch out for though, especially coconut: coconut milk derives 82% of its energy from saturated fat, as does coconut yoghurt, while coconut oil is a truly frightening 92% saturated fat. If you want to give your child the best chance of a long life free of cardiovascular health, coconut products should be a very occasional part of the diet, and coconut oil should not be consumed at all.
Becoming a parent is a life-changing experience. I can vividly remember holding my newborn son, and 4 years later, my daughter, in my arms and feeling an overwhelming rush of love and devotion, and a powerful desire to be the best parent I could possibly be. As parents, one of our most important jobs is to teach our children healthy food habits in early life, so we can set them up for making better choices when they leave our care and make their own way in the world.
Raising your child on a wholesome plant-based diet with minimal or no animal products or plant foods high in saturated fat is one of the best ways to actualise your drive to be a good parent.
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