A Comparative Analysis Of Hematological, Lipid Profile Parameters, And Body Mass Index In Male Vegetarians And Non-Vegetarians

Background: Around thirty-five percent of the population in India eat according to a vegetarian diet (Kumar and Prakash 2017). A vegetarian diet is considered healthier than a non-vegetarian diet as it has less saturated fat. However, unhealthy practices like eating packaged foods, drinking alcohol, or smoking have contributed to a growing obesity pandemic. According to current estimates, globally around 2.8 million deaths occur due to people being overweight or obese each year (WHO 2016). Anemia has been shown to be prevalent among approximately one-third of the world's population reported by WHO (Botswana Compendium, 2017). Objectives: This research aims to compare hematological, body mass index and lipid profile parameters in accordance with vegetarianism and non-vegetarianism. Its other aim is to look for effective dietary strategies for fighting lifestyle diseases. Methods: The study included a cohort of thirty vegetarian men and thirty age-matched non-vegetarian men aged 35 to 50 years who were seeking health assessments at the Master Health Check-up clinic. Demographical features were recorded along with blood tests were performed including haematology, body mass index (BMI) and lipid profile evaluations for all subj ects. Blood samples were taken after 10 hours of overnight fasting for analysing serum lipids parameters. Results: The mean±SD values of Hemoglobin, Hematocrit (PCV), Mean Corpuscular Volume (MCV), Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin (MCH), and Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin Concentration (MCHC) were increased in the non-vegetarian group compared to the vegetarians. There were no significant differences in Total Red Blood Cell (RBC count), Red cell Distribution Width (RDW), Platelet count, and Erythrocyte sedimentation Rate between non-vegetarians and vegetarians. Lipid profile showed no significant differences in serum total cholesterol, triglycerides, LDL (Low-density lipoprotein) between non-vegetarians and vegetarians except for a relative increase in these parameters in non-vegetarians. The vegetarians had a relative increase in HDL (High-density lipoprotein). No significant disparity was found with BMI values in both non-vegetarians and vegetarians. Conclusion: This study shows that a vegetarian diet tends to develop nutrient deficiency anemia, especially iron deficiency anemia whereas a non-vegetarian diet has an increased risk of developing dyslipidemias. It is recommended that a non-vegetarian diet having an adequate daily intake of fruits, vegetables, and polyunsaturated fatty acids, with lifestyle modifications would prevent the development of deficiency anemias and dyslipidemias. © 2024 IEEE.