Hello Tricia, That is a very interesting study in rats. However, vegetarian and vegan diets are not reduced or low protein diets. Western culture tends to be very protein focused and therefore we often think we need more protein than we actually do. Several studies have shown that omnivores in Western countries usually eat 3-4 times the protein they need daily, vegetarians usually eat 2-3 times the protein they need daily and vegan usually eat just the right amount or double what they need in a day. As a dietitian I see this echoed in my practice as well. With most of my patients so focused on protein that they fail to adequately nourish themselves from all the other very important food groups. It is also the position of most professional and academic organization including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics that vegetarian and vegan diets are healthy for all stages of life. Here is a quote from the Academy's position paper: "It is the position of the American Dietetic Association that appropriately planned vegetarian diets, including total vegetarian or vegan diets, are healthful, nutritionally adequate, and may provide health benefits in the prevention and treatment of certain diseases. Well-planned vegetarian diets are appropriate for individuals during all stages of the life cycle, including pregnancy, lactation, infancy, childhood, and adolescence, and for athletes." Vegan and vegetarian diets have been studied extensively over the last 30+ years and studies have shown that vegan and vegetarian children grow normally and at the same rate as meat eating children, and have lower incidence and prevalence of heart disease, Type II diabetes and some cancers going into adulthood. The references section of the above mentioned position paper has a wealth of studies that point to the safety and health of a vegan or vegetarian diet and show that it is in no way a low-protein diet. On an anecdotal note I have been a vegan for over 8 years. I have been pregnant and am still nursing a vibrant, healthy 2 year old to this day. She was normal weight and in the upper percentiles in length. She never lost the initial weight that we normally see but, instead maintained her weight at week 1 and gained 4 pounds in the first 3 weeks of life. She stayed in the highest percentiles for weight and length until she began to eat primarily solid foods now she is still in the upper percentiles for height and following the normal growth patterns for a child her age (she's around the upper 60s in terms of weight percentile). Being that I am a maternal and pediatric dietitian who is also a vegan and has written extensively about vegan diets I tend to see more vegan and vegetarian clients than the average dietitian and lactation consultant. Not once have I ever seen a trend of slow weight gain that was attributed to the mother's diet. Take Care, *Alicia C. Simpson MS, RD, IBCLC, LD* Maternal and Pediatric Dietitian International Board Certified Lactation Consultant *********************************************** Archives: http://community.lsoft.com/archives/LACTNET.html To reach list owners: [log in to unmask] Mail all list management commands to: [log in to unmask] COMMANDS: 1. To temporarily stop your subscription write in the body of an email: set lactnet nomail 2. To start it again: set lactnet mail 3. To unsubscribe: unsubscribe lactnet 4. To get a comprehensive list of rules and directions: get lactnet welcome