Plant-Based Diets: Healthy, Happy Kids

A plant-based diet can be highly beneficial for children's growth and development. It provides essential building blocks for health, including protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, fibre, minerals and vitamins. Fibre, found only in plant-based foods, is an essential part of a child's diet, aiding digestion and preventing constipation. Plant-based diets can also boost immunity, promote a healthy brain function and balanced mood, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases later in life.

However, there are some concerns about the safety of plant-based diets for children. Vegan diets, in particular, can restrict growth and increase the risk of being stunted and underweight.

Improved symptoms of common childhood conditions

A plant-based diet can help improve symptoms of common childhood conditions, such as asthma and constipation. This is largely due to the high fibre content of plant-based foods, which aids digestion and helps to maintain the integrity of the gut wall. Fibre also provides a food source for good gut bacteria, which is essential for a healthy gut-brain connection, promoting a healthy mood, behaviour and cognition.

The gut-brain connection is particularly important for children, as it can help to balance mood and cognition, and prevent energy slumps and grumpy moods. Fibre-rich foods also help to prevent constipation by creating stool bulk.

In addition to fibre, plant-based diets are rich in vitamins and minerals, which can further support children's health. For example, vitamin-rich plant foods can help to boost the immune system, which is largely based in the gut.

Plant-based diets can also help to reduce allergies. Children on vegetarian diets are exposed to typical allergy-causing foods, such as nuts, eggs and dairy, from an early age. This can help to reduce the risk of developing allergies later in life.

Healthier gut and better immunity

A plant-based diet can improve gut health and immunity in children in several ways.

Preventing the Growth of Pathogenic Bacteria

Modern diets high in sugar and low in fibre can encourage the growth of harmful gut bacteria. This is because a gut environment with excessive sugar available as nutrients can increase the presence of pathogens that feed on them, making gut microbes more harmful and causing inflammation. Long-term inflammation is common in diseases such as diabetes and obesity, which are often related to a Western diet high in simple carbohydrates and red meat and low in vegetables and fruit.

Diets rich in fibre, on the other hand, allow beneficial bacteria to ferment dietary fibre and grow, making the intestinal environment more acidic. This acidic environment makes it harder for harmful bacteria to grow, as they are ill-suited to acidic conditions. Therefore, a fibre-rich, plant-based diet can enrich populations of beneficial bacteria in the gut, improving gut health and immunity.

Improving Gut Microbiota Diversity

A balanced plant-based diet rich in a variety of vegetables can also increase the diversity of the gut microbiota. This is because different types of plant-based foods have different types of fibre, which can feed a range of different beneficial microorganisms. Fibre supplementation has a similar effect. In contrast, diets consisting of lots of refined sugars and saturated fat with low consumption of whole fruits and vegetables have been linked to lower microbiota diversity, which has been associated with certain diseases such as obesity and diabetes, as well as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and autism.

Protecting the Gut Wall

The intestine has a thin layer of cells called the 'intestinal barrier', which protects the body from harmful compounds and bacteria while allowing nutrients to pass from the gut to the bloodstream. A disruption to the gut barrier, which can be triggered by sustained unhealthy eating habits involving ultra-processed foods, can make it easier for harmful compounds to enter the bloodstream, putting health at risk.

However, a diet high in fibre from minimally processed foods can help protect the gut wall. When beneficial bacteria ferment fibre, the process produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), which provide energy for gut cells, supporting the gut barrier and preventing harmful gut bacteria and toxic compounds from entering the bloodstream.

Inhibiting Cancer Growth

Diets high in fibre can help prevent cancerous cell growth in the intestine. Firstly, SCFAs produced through fibre fermentation can inhibit cancerous cell formation and even lead to the death of cancerous cells. Secondly, as fibre is largely indigestible, it can aid bowel movement, clearing waste from the gut. Fibre can also bind to certain heavy metals that may be in contact with the intestinal cell wall and help excrete them from the body. Some strains of lactic acid-producing bacteria have also been shown to capture heavy metals, reducing the health hazard of such elements in the gut. These beneficial strains feed on soluble fibre, so they increase in number in the gut when we regularly consume foods such as legumes, oats, and certain fruits.

Overall

A balanced plant-based diet, with a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, and low in sugar, saturated fat, and ultra-processed foods, can help keep a healthy gut microbiota, fend off harmful bacteria, avoid inflammation, and contribute to optimal gut function and better immunity.

Reduced risk of allergies

A plant-based diet can reduce the risk of allergies in children. Louisa Matwiejczyk, Lecturer and Advanced Accredited Practising Dietitian at Flinders University, states that children on vegetarian diets have fewer allergies. This is because they are exposed to typical allergy-causing foods, such as nuts, eggs, and dairy, from an early age. The current Australian recommendation is to introduce common allergy-causing foods before the age of one, as withholding these foods can increase the chance of developing an allergy.

However, there is limited research on the development of allergies in children on vegan diets. Louisa Matwiejczyk adds that it would be interesting to see if vegan children, who are not exposed to dairy or eggs, would develop an allergy towards those foods if they chose to consume them later in life.

It is important to note that a well-planned diet is crucial to ensuring that children receive proper nutrition. Louisa Matwiejczyk advises parents to seek advice from a paediatric dietitian to help carefully plan their child's diet and understand any supplement requirements. Regular blood tests, as advised by a GP, are also recommended to monitor the child's nutrition levels, especially for those on a vegan diet.

Lower rates of disordered eating

Plant-based diets have been shown to have a positive impact on reducing the risk of disordered eating in children. This is due to several factors, including the development of a healthy relationship with food and an increased exposure to typical allergy-causing foods.

Firstly, plant-based diets promote a positive relationship with food by providing a wide variety of colours, tastes, and textures. This variety fosters a sense of adventure and exploration in young eaters, reducing the likelihood of fussiness as they grow. A diverse diet also ensures that children receive a good range of nutrients and decreases the chance of developing intolerances from consuming the same foods too often.

Secondly, plant-based diets often include typical allergy-causing foods such as nuts, eggs, and dairy. Early and consistent exposure to these foods from a young age can help reduce the risk of developing allergies later in life. This is in line with the current Australian recommendation to introduce common allergy-causing foods before the age of one, as withholding these foods can increase the chance of allergies developing.

In addition to these benefits, a plant-based diet can also provide children with the necessary building blocks for health, including protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, fibre, minerals, and vitamins. This ensures that children receive the optimal nutrition they need for growth and development while also lowering the risk of disordered eating behaviours.

However, it is important to note that a vegan diet, which excludes all animal products, may require careful monitoring and supplementation to ensure adequate nutrient intake. This is especially true for vitamin B12, which is predominantly found in animal food sources. Seeking advice from a paediatric dietitian can help ensure that children on vegan diets receive all the essential nutrients they need.

Improved nutritional variety

A plant-based diet offers a wide range of nutritional benefits for children. Firstly, it provides essential building blocks for health, including protein, healthy fats, complex carbohydrates, fibre, minerals and vitamins. These components ensure optimal growth and development for children. Fibre, for example, is essential for maintaining a healthy digestive tract, as it supports the integrity of the gut wall, feeds good gut bacteria, and prevents constipation.

Secondly, plant-based diets offer an array of colours, tastes and textures, promoting a more adventurous palate in children and reducing fussiness as they grow. This variety also ensures a good range of nutrients are consumed and decreases the chance of intolerances developing from eating the same foods too often.

Thirdly, plant-based diets are often higher in fibre and phytonutrients. Fibre-rich diets help maintain a strong gut wall and promote beneficial gut bacteria, which in turn, support a healthy digestive system and balanced gut bacteria. This has a positive impact on mood and cognition, due to the gut-brain connection.

Finally, plant-based diets can help boost immunity. Sugary foods can weaken the immune system, whereas nutrient-dense plant-based foods alkalise the body and keep the immune system strong. As 70% of our immune system is in the gut, maintaining a healthy gut with plant-based foods significantly strengthens the immune system.

Frequently asked questions