Pregnant Vegetarians Have Favorable Folate Status.

Women need to have adequate amounts of folate, a vitamin found in green leafy vegetables, enriched cereals and grain products, dried beans, and orange juice, before becoming pregnant, in order to reduce risk of having a child with spina bifida or other problems with the nervous system. It is also important to have enough folate during pregnancy. A recent study examined the folate status of pregnant women, 27 of whom followed a lacto-ovo vegetarian diet. They were compared to 43 women who were described as low meat eaters and 39 women who ate a standard Western diet. The vegetarians and low meat eaters ate more than 3 ounces of raw vegetables per day. Folate intake was highest in the vegetarians, intermediate in the low meat eaters, and lowest in those eating the Western diet. Similarly, blood levels of folate were highest in the vegetarians. The authors conclude that long-term high vegetable intake reduces the risk of developing a folate deficiency during pregnancy.

Koebnick C, Heins UA, Hoffmann I, et al. 2001. Folate status during pregnancy in women is improved by long-term high vegetable intake compared with the average Western diet. J Nutr 131: 733-739.