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Vegan/VegetarianEvidence & Dosage

Plant-based — strengths, deficits (B12, iron, omega-3), strategies.

Evidence at a glance

Total studies
476
With abstract
48
Meta / Systematic / RCT
4
Highly cited
25
Publication years
1975–2026

Vegan/Vegetarian in the context of Methods

This topic is part of our "Methods" world. There you'll find methodology, evidence and the highest-impact levers — plus the order in which they sensibly build on each other.

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Top studies on Vegan/Vegetarian

Ranked by influential-citation count and publication year.

  1. EPIC-Oxford: lifestyle characteristics and nutrient intakes in a cohort of 33 883 meat-eaters and 31 546 non meat-eaters in the UK.

    Public health nutrition2003n=429109 influential citations

    <h4>Objective</h4>To describe the lifestyle characteristics and nutrient intakes of the Oxford cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).<h4>Design</h4>Cohort of men and women recruited through…

  2. Impact of Vegan and Vegetarian Diets on Neurological Health: A Critical Review.

    Nutrients2025n=112systematic96 influential citations

    BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The global shift towards vegan and vegetarian diets has garnered attention for their ethical, environmental, and potential health benefits. These diets are often rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants, which have…

  3. Vegan diets: practical advice for athletes and exercisers.

    Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition2017D69 influential citations

    With the growth of social media as a platform to share information, veganism is becoming more visible, and could be becoming more accepted in sports and in the health and fitness industry. However, to date, there appears to be a lack of…

  4. Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian diets.

    Journal of the American Dietetic Association200354 influential citations

    It is the position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada that appropriately planned vegetarian diets are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain…

  5. The Oxford Vegetarian Study: an overview.

    The American journal of clinical nutrition199946 influential citations

    The Oxford Vegetarian Study is a prospective study of 6000 vegetarians and 5000 nonvegetarian control subjects recruited in the United Kingdom between 1980 and 1984. Cross-sectional analyses of study data showed that vegans had lower…

  6. Dietary intake and biochemical, hematologic, and immune status of vegans compared with nonvegetarians.

    The American journal of clinical nutrition199946 influential citations

    Dietary and nutritional status of individuals habitually consuming a vegan diet was evaluated by biochemical, hematologic, and immunologic measures in comparison with a nonvegetarian group. On the basis of 4-d dietary records, the intake…

  7. Dietary intake and nutritional status of young vegans and omnivores in Sweden.

    The American journal of clinical nutrition200241 influential citations

    <h4>Background</h4>Adolescents sometimes become vegetarian for ethical rather than health reasons. This may result in health problems caused by lack of interest in and knowledge of nutrition.<h4>Objective</h4>We compared the dietary intake…

  8. Intake of dietary phytoestrogens by Dutch women.

    The Journal of nutrition2002n=17,35739 influential citations

    Higher consumption of phytoestrogens might be protective against certain chronic diseases. Accurate quantification of habitual phytoestrogen intake is important for assessing associations between phytoestrogens and risk for certain…

  9. Vitamin D intake and status in children and adolescents: Comparing vegetarian, vegan, and omnivorous diets.

    Acta Paediatr2025n=9Systematic Review37 influential citations

    <h4>Aim</h4>This study aimed to evaluate papers analysing dietary intake, 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and anthropometry in children on vegetarian, vegan and omnivorous diets, as research indicates all diets generally fall…

  10. Total homocysteine, vitamin B(12), and total antioxidant status in vegetarians.

    Clinical chemistry200133 influential citations

    <h4>Background</h4>Decreasing or eliminating animal products from the diet decreases the intake of some essential nutrients, such as vitamin B(12), which may lead to hyperhomocysteinemia. We investigated vitamin B(12)-dependent metabolism…

Frequently asked

What dosage was studied?
• Vegan and vegetarian diets; review also discusses nutrient supplementation and food preparation strategies (Not applicable; review of diverse diets and nutrient strategies) • vegan diet
Are there safety considerations for Vegan/Vegetarian?
• B12 deficiency in vegans is linked to neuropathy and cognitive impairment. • Low DHA/EPA intake may worsen mood and cognitive outcomes. • Iron and zinc deficiency may impair neurological function. • High oxalate intake may increase kidney stone risk and possible neurotoxicity in susceptible individuals.

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