Article

Received 08.08.2025

Revised 03.11.2025

Accepted 12.12.2025

Retrieved from Vol. 1, No. 1, 2025

Pages 51 -61

Dzhumaev, R., Dzhumaeva, L., & Dzhumaeva, N. (2025). Comparative analysis of diet, protein and vitamin-mineral status of Indian vegetarian students with different durations of stay in the Kyrgyz Republic and permanent residents of India. Journal of Human Biology and Clinical Medicine, 1(1), 51-61. https://doi.org/10.63621/jhbcm/1.2025.51

Comparative analysis of diet, protein and vitamin-mineral status of Indian vegetarian students with different durations of stay in the Kyrgyz Republic and permanent residents of India

Ravshanbek Dzhumaev, Lazokatkhan Dzhumaeva, Nasiba Dzhumaeva

The aim of the study was to examine the characteristics and composition of the diet, including macro- and micronutrients, of Indian students adhering to a vegetarian lifestyle while residing in the Kyrgyz Republic, taking into account the duration of their stay, and to compare these indicators with a control group residing in India. The study included three groups of 50 participants each: newly arrived students in the Kyrgyz Republic (Group 1), students residing in the Kyrgyz Republic for more than four years (Group 2), and a control group living in India. Dietary assessment was performed using a 30-day food diary method. Based on the collected data, average daily energy intake, consumption of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as dietary diversity, were analysed. Using food composition reference tables, the approximate intake of macronutrients and selected micronutrients in the participants’ diets was calculated. The results demonstrated that both Group 1 and Group 2 showed reduced intake of proteins and fats, as well as a lower proportion of legumes and dark green vegetables, compared with the control group from India. Adequate overall caloric intake was achieved mainly through increased carbohydrate consumption, including foods with low nutritional value (snacks, sweets), particularly among newly arrived students. In Group 1, reduced dietary intake of iron, vitamin B12 and vitamin A was also observed. Students who had resided in the Kyrgyz Republic for a longer period demonstrated a tendency towards dietary improvement; however, diet quality remained inferior to that of the control group. Conclusions drawn from the obtained data indicated a risk of developing protein-energy and vitamin–mineral deficiencies. This highlighted the need to develop adapted dietary patterns with increased diversity of plant-based foods to prevent deficiencies and improve the health status of foreign students during the adaptation period. The study results could be used in the development of adapted diets for foreign vegetarian students aimed at preventing nutritional deficiencies

diet, dietary intake, protein-energy deficiency, vitamin and mineral deficiency, dietary adaptation
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