title: Dietary status of Seventh-Day Adventist vegetarian and non-vegetarian elderly women.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate nutrient intakes of Seventh-Day Adventist elderly women who were similar in many demographic and life-style factors except for choice of diet. Twenty-three vegetarian and 14 non-vegetarian elderly women (mean +/- standard error ages 72.2 +/- 1.3 and 71.1 +/- 1.4 years, respectively) were recruited on the basis of several selection criteria, including race, religion, education, geographic area, Quetelet index, self-reported absence of major chronic disease and use of medications, and physical activity. Average years +/- SE of adherence to dietary regimens were 47.0 +/- 2.9 and 71.2 +/- 1.4 in the vegetarian and non-vegetarian groups, respectively. Results from analysis of 7-day food records showed that vegetarians consumed significantly less cholesterol, saturated fatty acids, and caffeine but more carbohydrate, dietary fiber, magnesium, vitamins E and A, thiamin, pantothenic acid, copper, and manganese than non-vegetarians (p less than .05). On the basis of group means, 67% of the Recommended Dietary Allowance was met for all nutrients except zinc and vitamin D in both groups, and vitamins B-6, folacin, and vitamin E in the non-vegetarians. Compared with non-vegetarians, vegetarians had significantly lower serum glucose (5.18 +/- 0.11 vs. 4.65 +/- 0.09 mmol/L), low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (4.08 +/- 0.25 vs. 3.34 +/- 0.19 mmol/L), and total cholesterol levels (6.46 +/- 0.27 vs. 5.62 +/- 0.21 mmol/L) (p less than .05). In summary, when healthy elderly vegetarian women were compared with closely matched non-vegetarian peers, the vegetarian diet was associated with improved nutrient intake and associated reductions in blood glucose and lipid levels.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Health Science, School of Public Health, Loma Linda University, California 92350.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Nieman
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Underwood
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Sherman
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arabatzis
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Shultz
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001835:Body Weight; D002835:Christianity; D004034:Diet Surveys; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D012885:Skinfold Thickness; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements; D014815:Vitamins