Vegetarian Diets and Cardiovascular Risk in Women

Abstract Introduction: Vegetarian diets have favorable effects on cardiovascular risk, provided that they do not contain ultra-processed foods (UPF). Objective: To compare the metabolic profile, cardiovascular risk, body composition, and food consumption in vegan (VEG), lacto-ovo vegetarian (LOV), and omnivorous (OMNI) women. To verify the association between UPF consumption and cardiovascular risk. Methods: Cross-sectional study with 119 VEG (n = 43), LOV (n = 38), and OMNI (n = 38) women. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters and the Framingham risk score were assessed. Food consumption was assessed by means of a 3-day food register, and intake of macronutrients, micronutrients, and UPF was estimated. The correlation between UPF consumption and cardiovascular risk was assessed using Spearman's coefficient, with a significance level of 5%. Results: The groups showed low cardiovascular risk, without significant difference between them. The VEG and LOV groups had lower body mass index, neck circumference, body shape index, and systolic blood pressure (p < 0.05) than the OMNI group; greater consumption of carbohydrates, sugars, dietary fibers, micronutrients, beta-carotene, and carotenoids; and lower consumption of total fat, saturated fatty acids, and cholesterol (p < 0.05). Consumption of UPF was lower in the LOV group (5.7 [0.0- 19.8]) than in the OMNI group (14.9 [5.1 - 22.3]; p < 0.05). UPF consumption was associated with SBP (ρ = 0.439; p = 0.007) and blood sugar (ρ = 0.422; p = 0.010) in the VEG group, and in the LOV group it was inversely associated with LDL-c (ρ = −0.456; p = 0.010). Conclusion: Vegetarian women showed better body composition and dietary quality than OMNI women. It is important to take consumption of UPF in vegetarians into consideration, in order to improve cardiovascular risk in women.

A pesquisa sobre segurança alimentar e nutricional no Brasil de 2000 a 2005: tendências e desafios / Research on food and nutritional security in Brazil from 2000 to 2005: trends and challenges

A pesquisa sobre segurança alimentar e nutricional (SAN) no Brasil é discutida a partir do Diretório dos Grupos de Pesquisa no Brasil do CNPq. Buscas utilizando a expressão "segurança alimentar" possibilitaram a identificação de 72 grupos em 2005. As proporções entre pesquisadores e estudantes sugerem baixos dinamismo e consolidação dessa pesquisa. Predominam grupos na área de ciência e tecnologia dos alimentos e mais voltados para a qualidade do alimento; segue-se a área da Nutrição discutindo, principalmente, o estado nutricional de grupos populacionais; na área das humanidades, há um pequeno número de grupos que discute aspectos políticos, econômicos e sociais em âmbitos nacional e regional da SAN. Parecem ser necessários investimentos na integração entre os componentes alimentar e nutricional da pesquisa sobre SAN, buscando reduzir o diferencial entre os focos econômico (segurança do alimento) e social (direito humano à alimentação saudável).

Discussion of Research on Food and Nutritional Security (FNS) in Brazil started with the Directory of Brazilian Research Groups from the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq). Searches using the expression "food security" allowed the identification of 72 groups in 2005. Proportions between researchers and students suggest little dynamism and consolidation of such research. Groups in the area of Food Science and Technology, and those concerned with food quality are predominant; then there is the Nutrition area, mainly discussing the nutritional state of population groups; in the field of Humanities there is a small number of groups discussing political, economic and social aspects within FNS's national and regional scopes. It seems that investments in the integration between food and nutrition components of research on FNS are necessary, in order to attenuate differences between the economic (food security) and the social focus (human rights to a healthy nutrition).