Associations Between Vegetarian Diet and Bioelectrical Impedance Parameters: Insights into Body Composition and Cellular Health in Young Adult Women

TL;DR

This study found that vegetarian young women had lower cellular health and higher fluid imbalance compared to omnivores.

Contribution

The study identifies novel associations between vegetarian diets and bioelectrical impedance parameters in young women.

Findings

Vegetarian women had significantly lower phase angle (PhA) values compared to omnivores.

Vegetarian women had a higher extracellular-to-total body water ratio (ECW/TBW).

The associations remained significant after adjusting for factors like BMI and physical activity.

Abstract

Background: Vegetarian diets are becoming increasingly popular among young adults. The aim of this study was to examine the association between adherence to a vegetarian diet and body composition parameters in young adult women. Methods: A sample of 647 young adult women, mainly university students from Slovakia, consisting of 66 vegetarians (22.02 ± 2.74 years old) and 581 omnivores (21.13 ± 2.20 years old) was analysed. Body composition was measured using a bioelectrical impedance analyser, the InBody 770. Information on participants’ diet was collected using a modified version of the WHO STEPS 2014 questionnaire. Results: Vegetarian women showed significantly lower phase angle (PhA) values compared with omnivores (5.06 ± 0.45 vs. 5.23 ± 0.48; p = 0.004). They also had a higher extracellular-to-total body water ratio (ECW/TBW; 0.382 ± 0.004 vs. 0.380 ± 0.005; p = 0.026). In multivariable linear regression adjusted for smoking status, physical activity, body mass index (BMI) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), vegetarian diet remained independently associated with lower PhA (β = −0.094; p = 0.011) and higher ECW/TBW (β = 0.085; p = 0.028). No significant indirect associations between a vegetarian diet and PhA or ECW/TBW through smoking status or physical activity were observed. Conclusions: In this study of young adult Slovak women, adherence to a vegetarian diet was independently associated with lower PhA and a higher ECW/TBW ratio. These findings indicate differences in BIA-derived indicators of cellular integrity and fluid distribution between vegetarian and omnivorous women, although causal relationships cannot be inferred.

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