In regions with low soil selenium concentrations, selenium can be considered a critical nutrient in vegetarian and vegan diets. Studies investigating selenium intake in vegetarian and vegan children have been lacking.
In the VeChi Diet Study, the diet of vegetarian, vegan and omnivorous children aged 1-3 years was examined. Based on the 3-day dietary protocols and the food selenium concentrations of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the selenium intake of the participants was examined in more detail. The results obtained were summarized in a new research paper.
The average daily selenium intake was 17 µg (vegetarian), 19 µg (vegan) and 22 µg (omnivorous) in the three dietary groups. However, only the vegan and omnivorous groups differed significantly. On average, all dietary groups achieved the harmonized average selenium requirement (H-AR) of 17 µg/d, although children in the vegetarian and vegan dietary groups generally consumed less selenium than children in the omnivorous group.
The research paper was published at Nutrients 2023, 15(1), 34: to the paper.