Nutrient Intake and Status in Adults Consuming Plant-Based Diets Compared to Meat-Eaters: A Systematic Review.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review of predominantly observational studies comparing dietary patterns
PubMed 35010904 · doi:10.3390/nu14010029
What was done
A systematic review of observational and intervention studies published between 2000 and January 2020 evaluated nutrient intake and micronutrient biomarker status in adults consuming plant-based diets (primarily vegetarian and vegan) compared with meat-eaters. Researchers calculated mean intakes benchmarked against dietary reference values and compared biomarker concentrations across 141 included studies, primarily conducted in Europe, South/East Asia, and North America.
What was found
The abstract reports directional comparisons without specific numerical values or confidence intervals: - Protein intake was lower in plant-based diets than in meat-eaters but remained within recommended levels. - Plant-based diets had higher intakes of fiber, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), folate, vitamin C, vitamin E, and magnesium, but lower intakes of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). - Intake and biomarker status for vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, zinc, iodine, calcium, and bone turnover markers were generally lower in plant-based groups. - Vegans had the lowest intakes of vitamin B12, calcium, and iodine, as well as lower iodine status and lower bone mineral density. - Meat-eaters showed risks of inadequate intake for fiber, PUFA, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), folate, vitamin D, vitamin E, calcium, and magnesium.
Why it matters
This review highlights that dietary shortfalls exist across all eating patterns, demonstrating that while plant-based diets avoid fiber and antioxidant deficits, they require targeted planning, fortification, or supplementation for specific micronutrients like B12, calcium, iodine, and vitamin D.
Limits
The abstract provides no exact quantitative effect sizes, pooled statistics, or confidence intervals. Findings rely heavily on observational studies prone to dietary self-reporting errors and residual confounding, and the results are primarily concentrated in European, North American, and East/South Asian populations.
Cited by
- supports Vegetarians and vegans have higher concentrations of folate, vitamin K, magnesium, vitamin C, and vitamin E compared to non-vegetarians.