Cardiovascular Diseases ; Cardiovascular System ; Diet, Vegetarian ; Humans ; Integrative Medicine ; Vegetarians

Animals ; Ascorbic Acid ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Calcium ; Cholesterol ; Diet ; Humans ; Iron ; Multivariate Analysis ; Niacin ; Pantothenic Acid ; Plants ; Riboflavin ; Selenium ; Sodium ; Vegetarians ; Vitamin D ; Vitamin K ; Vitamins ; Zinc

OBJECTIVES: This study was designed to find out factors that are needed to be improved for the Buddhist training environment of Sramanera·Sramanerika monks, who have been newly adapted for their life style after becoming a monk, and to provide basic data for the development of the standard diet in Buddhist temples. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was applied to 365 Sramanera·Sramanerika monks at 11 Buddhist monk universities. The questionnaire was designed to investigate their dietary habits, dietary evaluation, satisfaction of food service, and food preferences. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 52.6% men, and 47.4% women. The subjects who had a vegetarian diet before joining the Buddhist priesthood were 27.7% women, and 13.5% men (p<0.01). 42.2% of the total subjects felt that they are healthy now and 19.4% felt weak. The most difficulty of dieting adaptation as soon as entering the priesthood was the strict diet rules (42.9%). The subjects considered health or nutrition (40.0%) highly when having meals. 94.8% women, 84.1% men ate breakfast every day (p<0.001). Women (55.4%) frequently ate snacks more than men (26.6%) (p<0.001). The results of the dietary evaluation indicated that the intake of milk, soy milk or dairy products and beans or tofu received lower than 3 points and women had lower point result than men (p<0.001). Foods with higher preference were grilled mushrooms, grilled laver, miso stew, sweet and sour mushrooms, steamed tofu with seasoning. CONCLUSIONS: Women were more interested in their health than men but they also required to improve the nutritional eating habits. It appeared that the lower intake rates of the calcium containing food (milk and dairy), and proteins (beans and tofu) could result in nutritional imbalance. Therefore, it is necessary to offer food based on the standard menu plan with consideration given to their food preferences in order to maintain their health and desirable dietary habits.
Agaricales ; Breakfast ; Calcium ; Dairy Products ; Diet ; Diet, Vegetarian ; Eating ; Female ; Food Habits ; Food Preferences* ; Food Services ; Humans ; Life Style ; Male ; Meals ; Milk ; Monks* ; Seasons ; Snacks ; Soy Foods ; Soy Milk ; Steam ; Vegetarians

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Gallbladder polyps (GBP) are a common clinical finding that can express malignant potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether vegetarianism protects against GBP, together with other putative risk factors. METHODS: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted with subjects who received a health check-up from July 2005 to December 2011. Korean Buddhist priests, who are obligatory vegetarians by religious belief, were identified as vegetarians (vegetarian group) and compared with a non-vegetarian control group sampled from those coming for health check-ups at the same institution. RESULTS: Out of 18,483 subjects, GBP were found in 810 (4.4%). Although GBP tended to be less common in the vegetarian group (23 [3.5%] out of 666) than in control group (787 [4.4%] out of 17,817), the difference was insignificant statistically (p=0.233). By logistic regression, old age (OR=1.61, 95% CI=1.19-2.26 for 30-39 years; OR=1.47, 95% CI=1.08-1.98 for 40-49 years), male gender (OR=1.51, 95% CI=1.31-1.75), high BMI (OR=1.18, 95% CI=1.00-1.39 for > or =23.0 kg/m2 and <25.0 kg/m2) and HBsAg positivity (OR=1.53, 95% CI=1.19-1.98) were independent risk factors of GBP. CONCLUSIONS: GBP was significantly associated with old age, male gender, high BMI and HBsAg positivity, but not with vegetarianism.
Adult ; Age Factors ; Aged ; Body Mass Index ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Gallbladder Diseases/diagnosis/*epidemiology ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Polyps/*epidemiology/pathology ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Sex Factors ; Vegetarians

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: A large number of studies on anemia have focused mostly on pregnant women or children. The vegetarian population, which is another potential risk group for anemia, remains largely unexplored. Therefore, this cross-sectional study examined the associations of the sociodemographic, lifestyle, nutritional, and psychological factors with the anemia status among female adult vegetarians. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 177 female vegetarians were recruited from a Buddhist and Hindu organization in Selangor, Malaysia. The participants completed a self-administered questionnaire, which analyzed their sociodemographic characteristics, physical activity level, sleep quality, depression, anxiety, and stress. The body weight, height, waist circumference, and body fat percentage of the participants were also measured. A 3-day dietary recall was conducted to assess their dietary intake. Blood samples (3 ml) were withdrawn by a nurse from each participant to determine the hemoglobin (Hb) level. RESULTS: The findings revealed 28.2% of the participants to be anemic. The age group (AOR = 2.46, 95% CI = 1.19–5.05), marital status (AOR = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.27–5.71), and percentage of energy from protein (AOR = 5.52, 95% CI = 1.41–21.65) were the significant predictors of anemia. CONCLUSIONS: Anemia is a public health problem among female vegetarians in this study. Health promotion programs that target female adult vegetarians should be conducted to manage and prevent anemia, particularly among those who are married, aged 50 and below, and with an inadequate protein intake.
Adipose Tissue ; Adult ; Anemia ; Anxiety ; Body Weight ; Child ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Depression ; Female ; Health Promotion ; Humans ; Life Style ; Malaysia ; Marital Status ; Motor Activity ; Obesity ; Pregnant Women ; Psychology ; Public Health ; Vegetarians ; Waist Circumference

Vitamin B12 deficiency has long been known to present with various neurological manifestations, but only rarely presents as movement disorders, especially in adults. We present the case of a 30-year-old vegan male presenting with tremors on both legs when standing which was relieved by vitamin B12 supplementation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first documented case of slow orthostatic tremor or pseudo-orthostatic tremor caused by vitamin B12 deficiency.
Vitamin B 12 Deficiency ; Vitamin B 12 ; Vegans ; Movement Disorders ; Tremor ; Electromyography

PURPOSE: Proper nutrition is essential for brain development during infancy, contributing to the continued development of cognitive, motor, and socio-emotional skills throughout life. Considering the insufficient published data in the Middle East and North Africa, experts drafted a questionnaire to assess the opinions and knowledge of physicians on the impact of nutrition on brain development and cognition in early life. METHODS: The questionnaire consisted of two parts: The first focused on the responders' demographic and professional characteristics and the second questioned the role of nutrition in brain development and cognition. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize respondents' characteristics and their responses to questions. RESULTS: A total of 1,500 questionnaires were distributed; 994 physicians responded. The majority of the surveyed physicians (64.4%) felt that nutrition impacts brain development in early childhood (0–4 years), with almost 90% of physicians agreeing/strongly agreeing that preventing iron, zinc, and iodine deficiency would improve global intelligence quotient. The majority of physicians (83%) agreed that head circumference was the most important measure of brain development. The majority of physicians (68.9%) responded that the period from the last trimester until 18 months postdelivery was crucial for brain growth and neurodevelopment, with 76.8% believing that infants breast-fed by vegan mothers have an increased risk of impaired brain development. CONCLUSION: The results of this study show that practicing physicians significantly agree that nutrition plays an important role in brain and cognitive development and function in early childhood, particularly during the last trimester until 18 months postdelivery.
Africa ; Africa, Northern ; Brain ; Cognition ; Female ; Head ; Humans ; Infant ; Intelligence ; Iodine ; Iron ; Middle East ; Mothers ; Pregnancy ; Pregnancy Trimester, Third ; Vegans ; Zinc