Vegan/vegetarian mother and her baby

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) in its latest position paper on vegetarian diets stated that, “Well-planned vegan, lacto-vegetarian, and lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy and lactation.“ Unfortunately, AND has not specified what "well-planned" vegan or vegetarian diet look like. If you have wondered what such diets should look like, you have come to the right place. In the next dozen or so videos I will provide key information regarding the most important nutrients in vegan and vegetarian nutrition and in pregnancy and lactation to: 1) avoid nutrient deficiencies, and 2) maximize nutrient intake and enhance fetal and infant development.

Many physicians and other health professionals are scared when they see a patient who is pregnant or breastfeeding while adhering to a vegan or vegetarian diet. Meat intake is actually recommended to pregnant women because it contains heme iron, which is has a high absorption rate and thus is believed to help in prevention of iron deficiency anemia. However, meat intake by the mother while pregnant is also associated with several adverse health effects in offspring. In this lecture, I summarize some of these health outcomes. By avoiding eating meat, vegan and vegetarian pregnant women reduce the risk of these health conditions in their offspring.

Protein is a nutrient of primary importance as symptoms of a deficiency can be severe. Although in different articles and on many websites that deal with vegans and vegetarians protein is often mentioned as a "nutrient of concern" as you will see, protein is NOT a true nutrient of concern for those vegans and vegetarians who consume a variety of good sources of plant protein. If protein deficiency was a problem to growing children, it would be manifested in low birth weight of infants born to vegan and vegetarian women and in poor growth of vegan and vegetarian children. Neither has ever been documented in research studies.

Essential fatty acids EPA and especially DHA are critical for proper brain and nervous system development of the fetus and young children. Plant foods do not contain these fatty acids. How can than vegan and vegetarian pregnant and breastfeeding women obtain them? Should they switch to a pesco-vegetarian diet and eat fish? You will be able to answer this and other questions after watching this video.

Vitamin B12 deficiency is a worldwide problem. Vitamin B12 is not found in foods of plant origin, though small amounts are found in milk, dairy products and eggs. Although some plant foods are fortified with this vitamin it is unlikely that these food items provide the required amounts of this nutrient. Are vegans the only group at a high risk of vitamin B12 deficiency? You will find the answer to this and other questions in this lecture.

Vitamin B12 deficiency during pregnancy and lactation causes a variety of adverse health problems, many of which may not be completely reversed. Offspring develop a deficiency as a consequence of their mothers either while pregnant and during lactation having a deficiency. What is the easiest and most reliable way to make sure vegan pregnant and or lactating women and consequently their babies do not develop a deficiency of this nutrient? You will find out the answer to this question in this lecture.

Choline only recently has been recognized as a nutrient. In pregnancy and infancy, this nutrient is important for neurological and cognitive development. Vegetarians and vegans ingest considerably lower amounts of choline than recommended. How can they improve intake of this nutrient? You will find the answer while watching the recording.

Choline is a nutrient that is important for both infants and adults. It is also important for fetal development. The main advantage of ingesting adequate choline intake is its role in the nervous system development. How can vegan and vegetarian pregnant and breastfeeding women maximize their intake of choline? The answer is found in the article.

Vitamin D deficiency is a worldwide problem. In pregnancy, vitamin D deficiency increases risk of developing gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension. How can vegan and vegetarian pregnant and breastfeeding women make sure a deficiency does not occur? How much sunshine exposure is safe? Should you use vitamin D supplements and if so, which and what doses? You should be able to answer these questions after watching this video.

Pregnant women have a high risk of iron deficiency anemia. In one study, one out of every four lacto-ovo-vegetarian pregnant woman had iron deficiency anemia. This nutrient deficiency is manifested in a variety of symptoms that may include a reduced birth weight. This is why it is important to prevent iron deficiency anemia. What is the safest way to do it? The answer is found in this lecture.

Vegan pregnant and lactating women along with vegan children typically do not ingest the recommended amount of calcium. In pregnancy ingesting adequate calcium intake is associated with reduced risk of several adverse health outcomes, such as pregnancy-induced hypertension. How can vegan pregnant and lactating women improve their calcium intake? This article contain several tips regarding food selection and food combination to enhance intake and improve absorption.

The bulk of vegans and some vegetarians do not ingest enough iodine. In pregnancy and lactation, the recommended intake of iodine is considerably higher than for non-pregnant and non-lactating adults. In the only to date study that assessed breast milk iodine concentration from vegan and vegetarian mothers showed the majority of the samples containing less iodine than the recommended intake of breastfed infants. How iodine intake can be improved? You will find out the answer to this question while watching the video.

In the era of the internet, people are constantly bombarded with new diet ideas. The same is true of meatless diets. There are those who advocate to ingest mostly or only raw foods. Others claim that we should not be using any oils. Still others say that all gluten-containing foods should be avoided as, supposedly, these foods are to blame for all of the diseases of civilization. Should you adopt this or another new diet idea? This article will help you to answer this question.

Zinc is another "nutrient of concern" for vegan and vegetarian pregnant and lactating women. Studies did show lower intake and status of individuals on a meatless diet compared to intake and status of those on traditional diets. How can zinc intake and status be improved? The answer to this question is found in the second half of this lecture.

Which prenatal vitamin supplements should I use? What form of vitamin B12 supplements is the best? Are soybean-based meat alternatives healthy? The answer to these and other common questions asked by pregnant and breastfeeding women are found in this video.