Many people wonder if raising children on a plant based diet is healthy. There is plenty of research supporting that it's healthy, but even more evidence has recently been published. 

In the April 2018 issue of the journal Nutrition Reviews, researchers looked at the impact that plant based diets during childhood would have, if any, on cardiovascular disease risks later on during adulthood. The researchers report that adults with vegetarian and vegan diets have a lower cardiovascular disease risk than omnivores. Their research also states that: 

"Atherosclerosis starts in childhood and progresses in relation to classical CVD risk factors, which, along with dietary habits, track to adulthood. Based on this evidence, it is proposed that plant-based diets in childhood could promote cardiometabolic health in adults and thereby reduce CVD and promote longevity and health."

This is good information for those who are raising children on a plant based, vegetarian, or vegan diet, as well as for those who may be considering it or questioning how healthy it is. Since atherosclerosis begins in childhood it's important that parents help establish healthy eating patterns in children. Teaching them to eat a healthy plant based or vegetarian diet is not only good for the planet and animals, but it's good for their health well into adulthood, helping to protect them from the number one cause of death in the country.