JERUSALEM, Feb. 9 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers have found that infants from vegan and vegetarian households grow at nearly the same rate as children who eat all types of food, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel said in a statement on Monday.
The researchers, from the university and the Israeli Health Ministry, examined whether a plant-based diet can support the rapid growth needed in the first two years of life. They analyzed a decade of records, between 2014 and 2023, of nearly 1.2 million children, covering about 70 percent of all Israeli infants.
The results, published in JAMA Network Open, showed that infants from vegan and vegetarian households had similar weight, length and head growth compared with omnivorous children.
While vegan infants were slightly more likely to be underweight in the first 60 days, the difference disappeared by age two. Stunting was rare across all diets, with no significant differences.
The researchers emphasized that well-planned plant-based diets with nutritional support during pregnancy and infancy are key, adding that plant-based diets do not harm early physical development and provide evidence to guide public health policy worldwide. ■
