Increased risk of vitamin B-12 and iron deficiency in infants on macrobiotic diets.
The blood iron, vitamin B-12, and folate status of the 1985 birth cohort of Dutch infants aged 10.1-20.4 mo fed macrobiotic diets (n = 50) and matched omnivorous control infants (n = 57) was measured. Fe deficiency (combination of Hb less than 120 g/L, ferritin less than 12 micrograms/L, and FEP greater than 1.77 mumol/L) was observed in 15% of the macrobiotic group but not in the control group (p = 0.003). Plasma vitamin B-12 concentrations in the macrobiotic group were far below those of the control group (geometrical mean: 149 and 404 pmol/L, respectively, p less than 0.001). Plasma folate concentrations were higher in the macrobiotic group (31.6 +/- 11.7 nmol/L) than in the control group (21.1 +/- 8.8 nmol/L, p less than 0.001). In the macrobiotic group mean corpuscular volume, mean corpuscular hemoglobin mass, and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration were higher and hematocrit and red blood cells were lower (all p less than 0.05) than in the control group. It is advised to incorporate regular servings of animal foods into the macrobiotic diet to obtain an adequate amount of vitamin B-12.
Dagnelie
P C
PC
Department of Human Nutrition, Wageningen Agricultural University, The Netherlands.
van Staveren
W A
WA
Vergote
F J
FJ
Dingjan
P G
PG
van den Berg
H
H
Hautvast
J G
JG
D000747:Anemia, Hypochromic / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D014676:Diet, Vegetarian / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005492:Folic Acid / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007227:Infant Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D009426:Netherlands; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D012306:Risk; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000097:blood; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*
D005293:Ferritins; D005492:Folic Acid; D014805:Vitamin B 12