Comparison of the nutritional status and outcome in thermal burn patients receiving vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets

ABSTRACT

Background: The importance of adequate nutritional support in burned patients cannot be overemphasised. For adequate long-term compliance by the patients, diet should be formulated in accordance with their pre-burn dietary habits, religious beliefs, and tastes. Patients and Methods: A study was conducted in 42 consecutive patients suffering from 10% to 50% of 2^nd and 3^rd degree thermal burns with the aim to compare nutritional status, clinical outcome, and cost-effectiveness of vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets. The patients were divided into two groups depending upon their pre-injury food habits. Total calories were calculated by Curreri formula. Both groups were compared by various biochemical parameters, microbiological investigations, weight , status of wound healing, graft take, and hospital stay and they were followed for at least 60 days postburn. Results: The results were comparable in both groups. Vegetarian diet was found to be more palatable and cost-effective. Conclusion: Vegetarian diet is a safe and viable option for the patients suffering from burn injury. The common belief that non-vegetarian diet is superior to vegetarian diet is a myth.

KEY WORDS

Burns - diet - non-vegetarian - vegetarian - wound healing

• REFERENCES

• 1 Hunt JR. Bioavailability of iron, zinc, and other trace minerals from vegetarian diets. Am J Clin Nutr 2003; 78: 633S-9
• 2 Waldmann A, Koschizke JW, Leitzmann C, Hahn A. Dietary iron intake and iron status of German female vegans: Results of the German vegan study. Ann Nutr Metab 2004; 48: 103-8
• 3 Young VR, Pellett PL. Plant proteins in relation to human protein and amino acid nutrition. Am J Clin Nutr 1994; 59: 1203S-12S
• 4 Rodriguez DJ. Nutrition in patients with severe burns: State of the art. J Burn Care Rehabil 1996; 17: 62-70
• 5 Curreri PW, Richmond D, Marvin J, Baxter CR. Dietary requirements of patients with major burns. J Am Diet Assoc 1974; 65: 415-7
• 6 Messina MJ, Messina VL. The Dietitian′s Guide to Vegetarian Diets: Issues and Applications. Gaithersburg, MD: Aspen Publishers; 1996
• 7 Davis B, Melina V. The New Becoming Vegetarian. Summertown TN: Book Publishing Company; 2003: p. 57-8
• 8 Craig WJ. Iron status of vegetarians. Am J Clin Nutr 1994; 59: 1233S-7S
• 9 Freeland-Graves JH, Bodzy PW, Eppright MA. Zinc status of vegetarians. J Am Diet Assoc 1980; 77: 655-61
• 10 Sian L, Mingyan X, Miller LV, Tong L, Krebs NF, Hambidge KM. Zinc absorption and intestinal losses of endogenous zinc in young Chinese women with marginal zinc intakes. Am J Clin Nutr 1996; 63: 348-53
• 11 Rosell M, Appleby P, Spencer E, Key T. Weight gain over 5 years in 21,966 meat-eating, fish-eating, vegetarian, and vegan men and women in EPIC-Oxford. Int J Obes (Lond) 2006; 30: 1389-96
• 12 Mattson MP. Diet-Brain Connection: Impaction on Memory, Mood, Ageing, and Disease. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers; 2002
• 13 Mozafar A. Is there vitamin B12 in plants or not? A plant nutritionist′s views. Vegetarian Nutr Int J 1997; 12: 50-2
• 14 Herrmann W, Schorr H, Obeid R, Geisel J. Vitamin B-12 status, particularly holotranscobalamin II and methylmalonic acid concentrations, and hyperhomocysteinemia in vegetarians. Am J Clin Nutr 2003; 78: 131-6
• 15 Antony AC. Vegetarianism and vitamin B-12 (cobalamin) deficiency. Am J Clin Nutr 2003; 78: 3-6
• 16 Gottsclich MM, Irenton-Jones CS. The curreri formula: A landmark process for estimating the caloric needs of burn patients. Nutr Clin Pract 2001; 16: 172-3
• 17 Ahuja RB, Goel A. Nutrition in burns. Indian J Burns 1993; 1: 50-6
• 18 Deitch EA. Nutritional support of the burn patient. Crit Care Clin 1995; 11: 735-50
• 19 Prelack K, Dylewski M, Sheridan RL. Practical guidelines for nutritional management of burn injury and recovery. Burns 2007; 33: 14-24
• 20 Reeves MM, Capra S. Predicting energy requirements in the clinical setting: Are current methods evidence based?. Nutr Rev 2003; 61: 143-51