Vegetarian Group Research Articles

Apolipoprotein E levels in vegetarians

Vegetarians are known to have low lipoprotein lipid and apolipoprotein AI and B levels. Since dietary cholesterol has recently been shown to have important effects on apolipoprotein E (apo E) metabolism, we measured plasma apo E levels in three groups of vegetarians. Group I ( n = 36) consumed < 10 mg cholesterol daily and 42% of calories as fat (P:S ratio 2.6). Group II ( n = 10) and Group III ( n = 18) consumed 97 and 179 mg cholesterol daily, and 35% of calories as fat (P:S ratios 0.7 and 0.9) respectively. Compared to control values, vegetarian plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels were decreased by 10%–30% and 30%–55%. Plasma apo E levels were decreased equally in all groups by 35% (2.4 ± 0.1 mg/dl versus 3.6 ± 0.1 mg/dl, p < .001). Plasma apo E levels were increased in parallel with lipid levels in pregnant vegetarians but were not different from non-lactating vegetarians in postpartum lactating women. Decreased apo E levels did not correlate with relative body weight, P:S ratio or intake of fat, carbohydrates or protein. Since all vegetarian diets studied were low cholesterol diets, decreased cholesterol intake may contribute to the low apo E levels. The apparent modification of apo E metabolism by vegetarian diets may be important in mediating effects of lipid lowering diets on atherogenesis.

Possible Inter-Relationship Between Zinc and Dietary Fibre in a Group of Lacto-Ovo Vegetarian Adolescents

Zinc status was compared in a group of adolescent lacto-ovo vegetarians and a control group eating a normal diet. Zinc levels in head hair, estimated by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, were related to non-dietary and dietary variables. Some negative correlation was demonstrated with intake of dietary fibre. It was concluded th at the higher fibre intake in the vegetarians might account for their lower mean hair zinc.

Vegan diets for young children

In 1944 a group of strict vegetarians formed the Vegan Society and called their diet a vegan diet to distinguish it from an ordinary vegetarian diet. Vegans are people who do not eat any food of animal origin. Their diet therefore consists of cereals, pulses — beans, peas, lentils — nuts, fruit and vegetables. A vegetarian diet is similar except that it also includes eggs and/or milk. In recent years vegetarian and, to a lesser extent, vegan diets have increased in popularity. The usual reason is ethical: a distaste for eating animal flesh and the abhorrence of animal suffering. It should be emphasised that veganism is a way of life, and is not a form of food faddism.

Dietary fibre and blood pressure.

Ninety-four volunteers participated in a three-day weighed dietary survey and had their blood pressures measured once. They were classified according to their fibre intake. Subjects with a high-fibre intake were found to have lower mean blood pressures than those with a low-fibre intake. Forty-two of the volunteers further participated in a group of experiments. Those eating a high-fibre diet decreased their dietary fibre, and those eating a low-fibre diet increased their dietary fibre. The first group (11 subjects) showed increased mean blood pressures after four weeks of eating the experimental diet. The last group (31 subjects) showed decreased mean blood pressures after four weeks of eating the experimental diet. The 11 subjects consuming the low-fibre experimental diet showed a decrease in mean blood pressure when some of the saturated fat in their diet was replaced by polyunsaturated fat. A similar substitution carried out by 14 of the subjects consuming the high-fibre experimental diet also resulted in decreased mean blood pressure, but this was not statistically significant. Twelve more volunteers, with hypertension, were all found to have low-fibre diets. They consumed a high-fibre diet for a six-week experimental period, but their mean blood pressures did not decrease significantly; individual recordings varied substantially during this period.It is suggested that differences in the type and quantity of dietary fibre and fat may be responsible for the lower mean blood pressures of groups of vegetarians compared with similar groups of non-vegetarians.

Food‐related value‐orientations, attitudes, and beliefs of vegetarians and non‐vegetarians

This paper reports the results of research performed to determine the influences of value‐, attitude‐, and belief‐ patterns on the food‐related behavior, vegetarianism. Data were collected by questionnaire from 487 respondents, approximately one‐fourth of whom were self‐reported vegetarians. The vegetarian group adhered more strongly to the food‐related value‐orientations of ethics, religion, and health than non‐vegetarians. Belief patterns also differed, as the vegetarians believed in consuming “health” foods and distrusted food processing and additives. Non‐vegetarians showed greater agreement with the “nutrition is important” scale than vegetarians. The discriminant analysis results indicated that over 90 percent of the sample was correctly classified as either vegetarians or non‐vegetarians when actual group membership was compared with predicted group membership on the basis of responses to value‐orientation, attitude, and belief scales. These data provide strong support for the fact that attitudes, ...

Plasma Lipids and Lipoproteins in Vegetarians and Controls

The possible effect of diet on plasma lipids was investigated in a group of vegetarians. Seventy-three men and 43 women who had adhered to a vegetarian diet for an average of three years were studied in the fasting state and compared with a randomly selected group of controls matched for age and sex. Mean cholesterol levels in milligrams per deciliter for vegetarians and controls, respectively, were 126 and 184; low-density lipoprotein, 73 and 118; very-low-density lipoprotein, 11.8 and 17.2; high-density lipoproteins, 42 and 49; and mean triglyceride levels 59 and 86. Mean weight and subscapular skinfold thicknesses were 58 kg and 6 mm for vegetarians and 73 kg and 17 mm for controls. Similar differences in lipid levels were found between subgroups of 42 vegetarians and controls with identical mean weights. Multiple regression analyses showed that consumption of dairy foods and eggs, but not body weight, was associated with the lipoprotein and cholesterol findings.

Escherichia coli with resistance factors in vegetarians, babies, and nonvegetarians.

The prevalence of Escherichia coli carrying resistance factors (R factors) was examined in meat-consuming individuals and in those not consuming meat (vegetarians and babies below the age of 6 months). Assuming that the transport of resistant E. coli from animals through meat and meat products to the human consumer is most important, with regard to the incidence of resistant E. coli in man, we expected a significant difference in the proportions of people with resistant E. coli between the two groups. However, the percentage with resistant E. coli was larger in the group of vegetarians and babies than in the group of meat-eating individuals.

Escherichia coli with Resistance Factors in Vegetarians, Babies, and Nonvegetarians

The prevalence of Escherichia coli carrying resistance factors (R factors) was examined in meat-consuming individuals and in those not consuming meat (vegetarians and babies below the age of 6 months). Assuming that the transport of resistant E. coli from animals through meat and meat products to the human consumer is most important, with regard to the incidence of resistant E. coli in man, we expected a significant difference in the proportions of people with resistant E. coli between the two groups. However, the percentage with resistant E. coli was larger in the group of vegetarians and babies than in the group of meat-eating individuals.

The fatty acid composition in serum of norwegian vegetarians.

Abstract The fatty acid composition of cholesterol esters, triglycerides, and phospholipids was determined in healthy vegetarian and non‐vegetarian men 40 to 70 years of age.Statistically significant differences were demonstrated, with high linoleic and low oleic and palmitoleic acid percentages in the vegetarian group in all lipid fractions. Differences in palmitic and stearic acid were less consistent, but tended to follow those in oleic and palmitoleic acid. The differences were more marked in the cholesterol esters and the triglycerides than they were in the phospholipid fraction. No differences in arachidonic acid values were observed.A dietary survey performed in the vegetarian group 6 to 12 months prior to the study revealed high intakes of polyunsaturated fatty acids. It is concluded that the study of fatty acid composition in serum lipids has given an indirect confirmation of the findings regarding fat intake in the dietary survey. In the vegetarian group statistically significant coefficients of correlation were demonstrated between the dietary intake of polyunsaturated fatty acids in per cent of calories and the percentages of linoleic acid in the cholesterol esters and triglycerides of serum.When absolute values rather than percentage composition were considered, it was evident that the main differences between the two groups were those of higher concentrations of some monounsaturated and saturated fatty acids in the control group, while the concentration of linoleic acid appeared similar in the two groups. The combined effect of polyunsaturated fatty acid intake on the fatty acid composition and on the serum lipid levels offers a reasonable explanation for this finding.