Abstract:
Background: Vegetarianism is the restriction of diet to disallow some or all foods of animal origin and consuming mainly foods of plant origin. There is paucity of data on dietary intakes of vegetarians in Ghana Vegetarian diets are typically low in certain micronutrients particularly iron, zinc and vitamin B12 but high in dietary fibre, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. The low intake of these micronutrients may affect the serum micronutrient profile of vegetarians. Folate and vitamin B12 status of the Ghanaian is unknown.
Aim: To assess dietary intakes and measure serum concentrations of folate and vitamin B12 status among adult vegetarians and non-vegetarians.
Methods: A case-control study design was employed. Ninety (90) participants comprising 45 vegetarians and 45 non-vegetarians were purposively selected from a Seventh Day Adventist Church in Mayra, Pokuase. Structured questionnaires were administered to obtain information on socio- demographic characteristics of participants. Anthropometric measurements and blood pressure measurements were taken. Dietary intake was assessed using 24-hour recalls and a food frequency questionnaire. Fasting blood samples were collected for measurement of vitamin B12 and folate concentrations.
Results: The mean ages of the vegetarians and non-vegetarians were 37.1 ± 12.5 years and 30.8 ± 7.7 years respectively. Majority (93%) of the vegetarians were lacto-vegetarians. No significant differences were found in weight, height, BMI, folate intakes and serum folate concentrations between the two groups. Mean visceral and body fats were significantly higher in vegetarians than non-vegetarians (ρ = 0.001 and 0.031 respectively). Dietary and serum concentrations of vitamin B12 were significantly lower in vegetarians compared to non-vegetarians (ρ = 0.0001and 0.05, respectively). Serum vitamin B12 positively correlated
with dietary vitamin B12 in vegetarians (r = 0.424, ρ = <0.001) as well as non-vegetarian (r = 0.315, ρ = 0.020). Serum folate concentrations had a positive correlation with dietary folate levels in both vegetarians (r = 0.417, ρ = <0.001) and non-vegetarians (r = 0.214, ρ = 0.021).
Conclusion: Findings of this study showed a positive relationship between dietary intakes of vitamin B12 and folate and serum concentrations of vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Low serum vitamin B12 and folate concentrations and low folate intake among vegetarians and non-vegetarians still remain a concern and require careful and in-depth analysis into more acceptable and balanced dietary intake of these nutrients.
