Unit of Biochemistry, Department of Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal.
CINTESIS, Center for Health Technology and Services Research, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal.
Nutrients. 2024 Sep 30;16(19):3322. doi: 10.3390/nu16193322.
This study aimed to compare the anthropometry and body composition of vegetarian and omnivorous adults living in Portugal, while exploring nutritional and health parameters underlying observed differences.
425 omnivorous (OMNI), lacto-ovo-vegetarian (LOV), or vegan (VEG) healthy adults were recruited. Anthropometry was measured, and bioelectrical impedance analysis was performed. Participants answered food frequency, sociodemographic, and lifestyle questionnaires. Serum iron, ferritin, and CRP were quantified by spectrophotometry, and serum B12 vitamin and homocysteine were quantified by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay.
Total protein intake significantly decreased with increasing strictness of vegetarian habits (median (P25; P75) in g/day: 98.6 (79.5; 123.1), 90.4 (65.9; 121.0), and 87.6 (59.8; 118.5) for OMNI, LOV and VEG, respectively; = 0.020), and carbohydrate intake was the highest in LOV (median (P25; P75) in g/day: 231.5 (178.4; 287.9), 283.9 (227.3; 342.6), and 263.0 (222.0; 348.3) for OMNI, LOV and VEG, respectively; = 0.001). VEG were the main users of B12 vitamin (93% in VEG vs. 17% in OMNI and 59% in LOV, = 0.001), and LOV were the main users of iron supplements (29% in LOV vs. 14% in OMNI and 13% in VEG, = 0.042), respectively. Blood levels of B12 vitamin correlated negatively with blood homocysteine ( = -0.386, < 0.001) and positively with % muscle mass ( = 0.136, = 0.005). Participants using iron supplements presented higher C-reactive protein (CRP) ( = 0.014) and they had lower % MM ( = 0.003). Finally, when compared to being OMNI, being LOV independently associated with: (a) having +4.8% ( = 0.002) of fat mass, which could be due to higher carbohydrate intake, and (b) having -2.2% ( = 0.043) of muscle mass. Our data suggest that the association between diet and muscle mass could be attenuated in VEG due to B12 supplementation and/or aggravated in LOV due to iron supplementation-associated inflammation.
本研究旨在比较生活在葡萄牙的素食者和杂食者成年人的人体测量学和身体成分，并探讨观察到的差异背后的营养和健康参数。
招募了 425 名杂食者（OMNI）、乳蛋素食者（LOV）或严格素食者（VEG）健康成年人。测量人体测量学数据，并进行生物电阻抗分析。参与者回答了食物频率、社会人口学和生活方式问卷。通过分光光度法定量血清铁、铁蛋白和 CRP，通过化学发光微粒子免疫分析法定量血清 B12 维生素和同型半胱氨酸。
总蛋白摄入量随素食习惯的严格程度而显著降低（g/天中位数（P25；P75）：OMNI、LOV 和 VEG 分别为 98.6（79.5；123.1）、90.4（65.9；121.0）和 87.6（59.8；118.5）； = 0.020），而 LOV 组的碳水化合物摄入量最高（g/天中位数（P25；P75）：OMNI、LOV 和 VEG 分别为 231.5（178.4；287.9）、283.9（227.3；342.6）和 263.0（222.0；348.3）； = 0.001）。VEG 是 B12 维生素的主要使用者（93%的 VEG 与 17%的 OMNI 和 59%的 LOV 相比， = 0.001），而 LOV 是铁补充剂的主要使用者（29%的 LOV 与 14%的 OMNI 和 13%的 VEG 相比， = 0.042）。B12 维生素的血液水平与同型半胱氨酸呈负相关（ = -0.386， < 0.001），与肌肉量的百分比呈正相关（ = 0.136， = 0.005）。使用铁补充剂的参与者 CRP 更高（ = 0.014），他们的肌肉量百分比更低（ = 0.003）。最后，与 OMNI 相比，LOV 独立地与：（a）体脂肪增加 4.8%（ = 0.002）有关，这可能是由于碳水化合物摄入较高所致，（b）肌肉量减少 2.2%（ = 0.043）有关。我们的数据表明，由于 B12 补充，VEG 中饮食和肌肉量之间的关联可能减弱，而由于铁补充剂相关炎症，LOV 中可能加剧。
