The nutritional status of vegans and vegetarians

Abstract

Urinary excretion of biotin (total avidin-binding substances) was measured in adults and children who were adhering to one of the following self-selected diets: strict vegetarian (vegan), lactoovovegetarian, or mixed (containing meat and dairy products as well as plant-derived foods). In a subset of subjects, plasma biotin concentrations were also measured. In adults the biotin excretion rate was significantly greater in the vegan group than in either the lactoovovegetarian or the mixed-diet groups; the latter were not significantly different from one another. In children the biotin excretion rates in both the vegan group and the lactoovovegetarin group were significantly greater than in the mixed-diet group. A similar trend (vegan greater than lactoovovegetarian greater than mixed) was detected in the plasma concentrations of biotin of adults and children but differences were not generally statistically significant. These observations provide evidence that the biotin nutritional status of vegans is not impaired.