The benefits and risks of short-term diet changes on the example of the use a 5-week long lactoovovegetarian diet. Analysis of 7-day nutritional surveys of women – preliminary study

Abstract

Aim. Due to more frequent incidence of diet related diseases, alternative methods of nutrition become more popular. The aim of this paper is to determine the degree of balance of a short-term lactoovovegetarian diet followed by those who do not have any previous experience with such a diet. Moreover, the study aims at comparing its findings with results of a nutritional analysis carried out in the case of volunteers following a long-term lactoovovegetarian diet. Material and methods. The method chosen in this study is a nutritional analysis based on 7-day long nutritional surveys. Diet 5.0 software was used analyze this data. The tests were conducted among 9 lactoovovegetarians females (LVD – long-term vegetarian diet) and 9 females who decided to follow a lactoovovegetarian diet for the duration of 5 weeks (SVD – short-term vegetarian diet). In the latter case, nutritional surveys were performed in the week preceding the experiment (SVD1/control group) and the last week of the diet (SVD2). Results. In LVD group, when compared with SVD1, significant differences in average daily intake of vitamin E, fat and plant fiber have transpired. After analyzing data from nutritional surveys of SVD2 group, significant differences in the amount of basic nutritional elements (e.g. smaller amount of fat and fiber), microelements (e.g. lower supply of calcium, iron, magnesium) and vitamins (vitamin E, thiamine, niacin) have been noted, as compared to LVD group. When comparing data within SVD group, i.e. a traditional diet and a 5 week long lactoovovegetarian diet significantly lower supplies of vitamins B1, B3, B12 and D were observed than before starting the experiment. Conclusions. A short-term change of eating habits from a traditional diet into a lactoovovegetarian one may result in insufficient supply of numerous nutrients.

Keywords

• short-term diet
• lactoovovegetarians
• nutritional survey