Does iron and B12 Supplementation play a role in diet-induced changes in muscle mass? – Findings from the veggienutri cross-sectional study

In Portugal, lack of information regarding vegetarian populations and difficult access to nutritional counselling may exacerbate the risks of poorly planned plant-based diets. To study body composition differences between vegetarian and omnivorous adults, and to identify putative underlying nutritional and health parameters. 425 omnivorous (OMNI), lacto-ovo-vegetarian (LOV) or vegan (VEG) adults living in Portugal free of any chronic disease were included. Participants answered a food frequency and a sociodemographic and lifestyle questionnaire. Bioelectric impedance analysis was performed, and fasting blood samples were collected for health biomarkers analysis. Total protein intake was significantly lower for stricter vegetarian habits (median (P25; P75) in g/day: 98.6 (79.5; 123.1), 90.4 (65.9; 121.0), and 87.6 (59.8; 118.5) for OMNI, LOV and VEG, respectively; p = 0.020). Compared to being OMNI, being LOV, but not VEG, was independently associated with having +4.8 % (p = 0.002) fat mass and −2.2 % (p = 0.043) muscle mass (model adjusted for sex, age, marital status, physical exercise, multivitamin supplement intake and nutritional counselling). On the other hand, isolated B12 supplements were most used by VEG (93% in VEG vs. 17% in OMNI and 59% in LOV, p = 0.001), while isolated iron supplements were most used by LOV (29% in LOV vs. 14% in OMNI and 13% in VEG, p = 0.042). Among VEG, B12 blood levels correlated negatively with blood homocysteine (rs = −0.386, p < 0.001) and positively with % muscle mass (rs = 0.136, p = 0.005) and iron supplement users presented higher C-reactive protein (p = 0.014) and lower % muscle mass (p = 0.003), when compared to non-users. Our data suggest that among VEG, B12 supplementation may rescue from low-protein-induced muscle mass loss, while among LOV, ironrelated inflammation may exacerbate it.

Palavras-chave

Iron B12

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10400.22/32581

Citação

Pinheiro, C., & Bracchi, I. (2025). Does iron and B12 Supplementation play a role in diet-induced changes in muscle mass? – Findings from the veggienutri cross-sectional study. XXIV Congresso de Nutrição e Alimentação da Associação Portuguesa de Nutrição (APN) 2025 - Acta Portuguesa de Nutrição, 41, 82. https://actaportuguesadenutricao.pt/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/ACTA-41_LOW-2.pdf

Editora

Associação Portuguesa de Nutrição

Coleções

ESS - CF - Comunicações em eventos científicos

Licença CC

cclicense-by-nc

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