Vegan diets may damage children

VEGAN diets could be bad news for growing bones, according to a study.

Scientists at the University of Helsinki in Finland tracked 40 children eating three different diets – vegan, vegetarian and one incorporating meat – and found those on vegan diets had depleted levels of vital nutrients, specifically Vitamins A and D – essential for developing bones and the immune system.

Veganism omits some of the richest sources of these nutrients, such as eggs, milk, cheese and meat. The strict diet has quadrupled in popularity over the past five years, with 600,000 Britons now defining themselves as vegan, according to nationwide surveys.

Researcher Topi Hovinen, one of the authors of the study, said parents who put children on vegan diets ‘must be warned’ of the potentially damaging effects.