By Jack Norris, Registered Dietitian, VO Executive Director
The Position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Vegetarian Diets has been released!
It states:
It is the position of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that appropriately planned vegetarian, including vegan, diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. These diets are appropriate for all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, adolescence, older adulthood, and for athletes. Plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable than diets rich in animal products because they use fewer natural resources and are associated with much less environmental damage.
The paper contains a review of all the nutrients of concern for vegetarians and a summary of the research on the health and environmental benefits.
The Academy’s position paper is the most authoritative, scientific statement on vegetarian diets and I encourage all vegetarian advocates to read it. As of this writing, a free PDF was available.