Vegetarian diet 'bad for children'

Removing animal foods from a child’s diet is "unethical" and damaging, and produces smaller, lethargic and less capable children, said Professor Lindsay Allen, of California University, who carried out a two-year study on 544 Kenyan children.

But her findings drew an angry reaction from Sir Paul McCartney, the former Beatle and celebrity vegetarian. He claimed: "These [studies] are engineered by livestock people who have seen sales fall off."

A vegetarian for 20 years, he said he had raised his children the same way "with no ill-effects". He went on: "This [report] is rubbish. Vegetarianism has been a good thing for me and my children, who are no shorter than other children."

Prof Allen was unrepentant. She said: "Knowing Sir Paul is upset won’t make me lose sleep. My work was done for the United States Agency for International Development, not a meat company."

Her study found that small amounts of meat and milk in the daily diet of children doubled physical capability and enhanced mental acuity.

She said: "If you’re talking about feeding children, I would say it is unethical to withhold these foods. There are adverse effects on development."

Her study involved seven-year-olds whose usual diet consisted of corn and beans. One group was given a supplement of meat, two groups received milk and a fourth group remained on the local diet.

The changes in the "meat" children and, to a lesser extent, the "milk" children were dramatic, Prof Allen said. The meat group had an 80 per cent increase in muscle mass while in the milk group there was a 40 per cent increase. There was no change in the local diet group.

"The meat supplement children were more active, talkative and playful, and their mental skills improved," she said. "Had these children received these foods earlier, we think the improvements would be even more dramatic."

However, Professor Annie Anderson, of the centre for public health nutrition research at Dundee University, had her reservations. She said: "A vegan diet for children does increase the risk of poor growth and it requires a great deal of study."

Prof Anderson also believed a study carried out in Africa did not easily transplant to Scotland. She said: "It sounds as if this was an area of poverty or a sub-group within a culture where all they have are cereals. I am not saying Prof Allen’s results are untrue, but if I did an intervention study here, I would not assume it would work in Kenya."

Kostana Azmi, from the Vegan Society, said the number of people switching to plant-based nutrition was increasing. "The vegan diet can provide you with more energy and nutrition, and is bursting with goodness," she said.

VEGAN CHILD 'HEALTHY AND HAPPY'

HE IS a healthy, energetic child, well grown, curious, and desperate to answer the telephone every time it rings.

Robin Richards, two, is a vegan child, and so far his physical and mental development is indistinguishable from that of a child on a "normal" diet.

His mother, Emily, 36, from Aberdeen, has been a vegetarian since her teens and a vegan, who eat no animal products whatsoever, for a decade.

Her husband Mark, 32, was a late convert. He has been vegan for six years. The Richards’ chose their dietary lifestyle for moral, environmental and health reasons.

But while they were happy to be vegan, they thought long and hard before applying the same diet to their child.

Mrs Richards said: "It was after a period of investigation. I had concerns, but we thoroughly researched it and were convinced that Robin could grow healthily.

"When I was pregnant there were fears over the BSE crisis. We believed that by not eating such foods we were doing the best for Robin."

As a baby, the child was breast-fed and as he grew, mother’s milk was replaced by soya "milk".

The Richards’ diet consists of beans, lentils and nuts and organic vegetables.

Mrs Richards added: "Robin shows no sign of being different. He did the right things at the appropriate time and his height and weight are consistent with his age.

"The vitamins he needs which are not provided by a plant-based diet are replaced with supplements."

The cost of a vegan diet is "swings and roundabouts", according to Mrs Richards.

She said: "We don’t have the expense of meat but our vegetables are organic, which costs a bit more. I reckon it evens itself out.

"The important thing is we feel we are doing the right thing.

"Professor Allen’s findings were taken from a group of Kenyan children who were probably not eating a balanced diet in the first place.

"I believe it would be wrong to conclude from her study that all vegan children in the world are undernourished."