Long-term effect of a plant-based diet on magnesium status during pregnancy

Abstract

Objective: To compare dietary magnesium intake and magnesium concentrations in serum, red blood cells (RBC) and urine during pregnancy of women habitually following a long-term plant-based diet and of women following an average Western (control) diet. Design: Prospective study during pregnancy. Setting: Giessen, Germany. Subjects: Healthy pregnant women (n ¼ 108) in their 9-12th, 20-22nd and 36-38th gestational week habitually following a plant-based diet for more than 3 y or an average Western diet. The vegetarians were subdivided into ovo-lacto vegetarians (n ¼ 27) and low-meat eaters (n ¼ 43). Results: Significant higher dietary magnesium intakes were observed in pregnant women consuming a plant-based diet (508714 mg/day for ovo-lacto vegetarians, Po0.001 and 504711 mg/day for low-meat eaters, Po0.001) than in pregnant women consuming a control diet (41279 mg/day). Serum magnesium concentrations were similar in all diet groups whereas RBC magnesium was slightly higher in low-meat eaters than in controls (P ¼ 0.058). Urinary magnesium excretion was higher in ovo-lacto vegetarians (P ¼ 0.023), followed by low-meat eaters (P ¼ 0.017) when compared to the control group. During the third trimester of pregnancy, the frequency and the occurrence of calf cramps was lower in the plant-based diet group than in the control group (P ¼ 0.004 and 0.008). Conclusions: Owing to a higher dietary magnesium intake confirmed by higher urinary magnesium excretion, habitual plantbased diets result in a slightly improved magnesium status during pregnancy and reduce the frequency of calf cramps during the third trimester of pregnancy compared to an average Western diet. Therefore, plant-based diets during pregnancy can be recommended with regard to magnesium supply.

Vegan-vegetarian diets in pregnancy: danger or panacea? A systematic narrative review

“…The studies dated from 1977 to 2013, and varied in the number of cases. The two largest studies involved an entire Seventh‐Day Adventist community (7285 people, with the number of women unspecified) and 7928 children born of vegan–vegetarian and non‐vegetarian mothers, investigating the role of maternal nutrition in the pathogenesis of hypospadias (Tables S1 and S2) …”

Vegetarian diet observed by pregnant women. Benefits and risks for mother and fetus

“…On the other hand, the deficiency of calcium and zinc in the diet of pregnant vegetarians may result from the interactions between these elements. These interactions appear mainly in people who do not consume or consume very small quantities of meat and animal products [7,8,9,11,12,13,14,15,16,17]. Additional analyzes also showed that pregnant women following a vegetarian diet may be prone to iron and folic acid deficiency.…”

“…Of these, only two studies were conducted in the United States and the whole referred to the eating habits of pregnant vegetarians living there. The following studies were subjected to comparative analysis: Campbell-Brown (1985), Drake (1998), Ganpule (2006), Cheng (2004), Ellis (1987), King (1981), Koebnick ( , 2004Koebnick ( , 2005, and Ward (1988) [7,8,9,11,12,13,14,15,16,17]. Based on the results obtained from the studies mentioned above, it is possible to indicate the nutrients for which there are noted differences in the consumed amounts among pregnant women following a vegetarian diet and pregnant women consuming meat and animal products.…”

“…Based on the results obtained from the studies mentioned above, it is possible to indicate the nutrients for which there are noted differences in the consumed amounts among pregnant women following a vegetarian diet and pregnant women consuming meat and animal products. These nutrients include vitamin B12, vitamin C, calcium and zinc [7,8,9,11,12,13,14,15,16,17]. The deficiency of vitamin B12 in the diet of vegetarians follows mainly from the fact that none of the commercially available products of plant origin, if it is not supplemented with vitamin B12 it does not contain such amounts which could provide the daily needs for this vitamin.…”

“…Additional analyzes also showed that pregnant women following a vegetarian diet may be prone to iron and folic acid deficiency. It should, however, be noted that classification of the results of studies on pregnant subsisting on a vegetarian diet depends to large degree on the country in which the surveys were conducted, and the values specified for the Guideline Daily Amount (GDA) accepted there [7,8,9,11,12,13,14,15,16,17].…”