Nutritional Status of Adults on Alternative or onTraditional Diet

Overview

Background.
Plant food lacks vitamin B 12 , vitamin D and higher n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Essentialaminoacids methionine and lysine can be found in significantly lower amounts. On the contrary, the culinary andtechnologically non-processed plant food and whole-grain products contain essential nutrients in a highly condensedform. The aim of the study was to compare nutritional status of adults on alternative or on traditional diet and sequelsof the diet to body metabolism.Methods and Results. The group on alternative diet consisted of 89 lacto-ovo-vegetarians (age 38.7±0.6 years,average duration of vegetarianism 7.8 years). Control group on traditional diet (omnivores, n=84) was formed as anaverage sample. Nutritional regime was determined using dietetic questionnaire on the food intake regularity.Vegetarians consume optimal amount of fat (along with recommendations of OVD) with predominance of vegetallipids. They have low intake of cholesterol (62.8 mg), recommended ratio of saturated fatty acids (SFA), monoun-saturated (MUFA), and polyunsaturated (PUFA) 6.5:10.6:8.9 energetic percent. Their ratio of linolic:-linolenicacid (10.4:1) also corresponds with recommendations. In traditional diet, the content of lipids and energy usuallyexceeds the norm of OVD (by 33 % or 19 % respectively), cholesterol intake is much higher (512.2 mg, 200 mg isrecommended as a maximum). Higher is the amount taken of SFA (11.2 energetic %, recommended 7 %), and notsufficient is the intake of -linolenic acid (68 % of OVD). People on alternative diet have low plasma levels of risklipid parameters and significantly higher levels of antisclerotic substances. As a result of significantly higher intakeof fruits and vegetables, plant oil, sprouts, seeds, and whole-grain food the plasma levels of antioxidative vitaminsare in vegetarians higher then threshold. It reduces the risk of the free-radical disease. On the contrary, vegetarianshave deficits in methionine intake, and 15 % of them have hypoproteinemia is (0 % in omnivores). Low plasmalevels of iron and calcium, occurrence of hyposideremia (16 % versus 2 %) and hypocalcemia (21 % versus 8 %)corresponds with intake of vegetal absorption inhibitors (fytolic acid, oxalic acid, roughage). Frequently a mild formof hyperhomocysteinemia is found (28 % versus 5 %), resulting vitamin B 12 deficit.Conclusions. Vegetarian diet is optimal for prevention of free-radical diseases, especially those of the cardiovas-cular system. It may bring a risk from the point of view of low iron and calcium absorption, low intake of methionineand occurrence of mild forms of hyperhomocysteinemia. In traditional diet, total lipid content should be lowered,amount of vegetable oil with -linolenic acid should be elevated as well as fruit and vegetable consummation. Wholegrain food and oily seeds should be included into the daily food.

Key words:
vegetarians, omnivores, cholesterol, fatty acids, antioxidative vitamins, methionin, vitamin B 12 ,homocysteine, iron, calcium.Po.