Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T21:55:32.042Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Haematological studies on vegans

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

T. A. B. Sanders ,
F. R. Ellis  and
J. W. T. Dickerson
T. A. B. Sanders
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, Kingston Hospital, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, KT2 7BD
F. R. Ellis
Affiliation:
Department of Pathology, Kingston Hospital, Kingston-upon-Thames, Surrey, KT2 7BD
J. W. T. Dickerson
Affiliation:
Department of Biochemistry, Nutrition Division, University of Surrey, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 5XH
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

1. The concentrations of vitamin B12 and folate in the serum and folate in the erythrocytes were determined and full blood counts made on a series of caucasian vegans and omnivore controls.

2. The blood counts and films were normal in all the vegans and no subject had a haemoglobin concentration below the lower limit of normality.

3. Although within the normal range, male but not female vegans had lower values for erythrocyte counts and higher values for mean corpuscular volume and mean corpuscular haemoglobin than their controls regardless of whether they were taking vitamin B12 supplements or not.

4. The mean serum vitamin B12 concentration was lower in the vegans not taking vitamin B12 supplements and in those using foods supplemented with the vitamin than in the controls, but in no subject was it below 80 ng/l.

5. The serum folate concentrations were higher in the vegans than in their controls. The mean value for erythrocyte folate tended to be greater in the vegans not taking vitamin B12 supplements. No subject had an erythrocyte folate concentration of less than 100μg/l.

6. It is concluded that megaloblastic anaemia is very rare in caucasian vegans and that a diet consisting entirely of plant foods is generally adequate to promote normal blood formation providing it is composed of a mixture of unrefined cereals, pulses, nuts, fruit and vegetables and is supplemented with vitamin B12.

Type
Papers of direct relevance to Clinical and Human Nutrition
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 40 , Issue 1 , July 1978 , pp. 9 - 15
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1978

References

Aries, V. C., Crowther, J. S., Drasar, B. S., Hill, M. J. & Ellis, F. R. (1971). J. Path. 103, 54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Armstrong, B. K., Davis, R. E., Nicol, D. J., Van Merwyk, A. J. & Larword, C. J. (1974). Am. J. clin. Nutr. 27, 712.Google Scholar
Badenoch, A. C. (1952). Br. med. J. 2, 668.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Britt, R. P., Harper, C. & Spray, G. H. (1971). Q.J. Med. New series. L, 160, 499.Google Scholar
Campbell, R. C. (1967). Statistics for Biologists. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Chanarin, I. (1969). The Megaloblastic Anaemias. Oxford and Edinburgh: Blackwell Scientific Publications.Google Scholar
Cotes, J. E., Dabbs, J. M., Hall, A. M., McDonald, A., Miller, D. S., Mumford, P. & Saunders, M. J. (1970). J. Physiol., Lond. 209, 30.Google Scholar
Ellis, F. R. & Montegriffo, V. M. E. (1970). Am. J. clin. Nutr. 23 (3), 249.Google Scholar
Ellis, F. R., West, E. D. & Sanders, T. A. B. (1976). Plant Foods for Man 2, 43.Google Scholar
Ellis, F. R. & Wokes, F. (1967). Nutritio Dieta 9, 81.Google Scholar
Hardinge, M. G., Crooks, H. & Stare, F. J. (1962). Am. J. clin. Nutr. 10, 516.Google Scholar
Hardinge, M. G. & Stare, F. J. (1954 a). J. clin. Nutr. 2, 73.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hardinge, M. G. & Stare, F. J. (1954 b). J. clin. Nutr. 2, 83.Google Scholar
Heyssel, R. M., Bozian, R. C., Darby, W. J. & Bell, M. C. (1966). Am. J. clin. Nutr. 18, 176.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hines, J. D. (1966). Am. J. clin. Nutr. 19, 260.Google Scholar
Ledbetter, R. B. & Del Pozo, E. (1969). Acta haemat. 42, 247.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Lester Smith, E. (1965). Vitamin B12. London: Methuen & Co. Ltd.Google Scholar
Miller, D. S. & Mumford, P. (1972). Pl. Fds hum. Nutr. 2, 201.Google Scholar
Misra, H. N. & Fallowfield, J. M. (1971). Postgrad. med. J. 47, 624.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nutrition, Reviews (1975). Nutr. Rev. 33 (4), 118.Google Scholar
Pallis, C. M. & Lewis, P. D. (1974). The Neurology of Gastro-intestinal Disease. London: W. B. Saunders Co. Ltd.Google Scholar
Roberts, P. D., James, H., Petrie, A., Morgan, J. O., Hoffbrand, A. V. (1973). Br. med. J. 3, 67.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rose, M. (1976). Lancet ii, 681.Google Scholar
Sanders, T. A. B. (1977). The composition of red cell lipid and adipose tissue in vegans, vegetarians and omnivores. Ph.D. thesis: University of London.Google Scholar
Smith, A. D. M. (1962). Br. med. J. 1, 1655.Google Scholar
Spray, G. H. (1955). Clin. Sci. 14, 661.Google Scholar
Stewart, J. S., Roberts, P. D. & Hoffbrand, A. V. (1970). Lancet ii, 542.Google Scholar
Thomas, J., Ellis, F. R. & Diggory, P. L. C. (1977). Proc. Nutr. Soc. 36, 46A.Google Scholar
Verjaal, A. & Timmermans-Van, Den, Bos, A. H. (1967). J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat. 30, 464.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
West, E. D. & Ellis, F. R. (1966). J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiat. 29, 391.Google Scholar
WHO (1968). Tech. Rep. Ser. Wld Hlth Org. no. 405.Google Scholar
Winawer, S. J., Strieff, R. R. & Zamcheck, N. (1967). Gastroenterology 53, 130.Google Scholar
Wokes, F., Badenoch, J. & Sinclair, H. M. (1955). Am. J. clin. Nutr. 3, 375.CrossRefGoogle Scholar