Metabolomics: insights into plant-based diets

Abstract

Plant-based diets exclude or substantially limit the consumption of meat and animal products and are of growing interest to many due to their sustainability and health benefits (Eshel et al, 2016). Veganism is an extreme type of plant-based diet which excludes the consumption of all animal-derived foods such as meat, eggs, and dairy, as well as foods containing animal-derived ingredients. In adults, for example, certain observational studies have suggested lower body mass index, total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, decreased incidence and mortality from ischemic heart disease, and decreased incidence of cancer in vegans and vegetarians versus omnivores (Dinu et al, 2017). The mechanistic basis for these observations and their generality are unclear.

Figure 1. Vegan diets are defined by their exclusion of animal‐derived foods including meat, eggs, and dairy

In adults, vegan diets have been linked to improved health outcomes and adults consuming a vegan diet show biological changes including distinct alterations in their plasma metabolome and gut microbiome. Less is known about how vegan diets affect children, and to this end, Hovenin et al (2021) explore the metabolic and nutritional effects of vegan diets in children.