Study: Plant-based dairy alternatives risk nutrient deficiency
A University of Surrey and Queen's University Belfast study in the UK finds that replacing dairy with unfortified plant-based alternatives may cause significant micronutrient shortfalls. Iodine intake proved the most sensitive to such substitution.
Replacing milk, yoghurt and cheese with unfortified plant-based alternatives could lead to a shortage of vital nutrients, according to a new study from the University of Surrey in collaboration with Queen's University Belfast. The researchers describe it as the first study of its kind in the UK.
The team examined how swapping dairy for commercially available plant-based products affects an individual's micronutrient intake. Postgraduate research student Dr Katie Nicol said that, with sustainability in mind, many dietary recommendations promote plant-based eating and less animal produce, so it is necessary to know whether the alternatives are like-for-like replacements for the micronutrients in dairy. She said this matters particularly for young children and adolescent females, who are more likely to be deficient in certain micronutrients.
How the study worked
Researchers used data from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey covering more than 3,500 people aged between 18 months and 100 years. A novel modelling technique assessed the effect of replacing dairy with plant-based alternatives on four micronutrients found in dairy: iodine, calcium, riboflavin and vitamin B12.
Key findings
Even modest substitution led to significant declines in all four nutrients, with iodine the most sensitive. Replacing just 20% to 35% of dairy under current market fortification levels raised iodine inadequacy among adolescent females from 54% to 65%, and among women aged 19 to 49 from 32% to 42%. With full replacement, inadequacy rose to 80% in adolescent females and 72% in adolescent males.
Mandatory fortification of plant-based alternatives prevented declines in micronutrient intake, but iodine remained inadequate in 59% of adolescent females. Iodine-fortified bread cut this figure to 37%. The most effective approach, the study concluded, is to combine mandatory fortification of plant-based dairy alternatives with iodine-fortified bread.
Dr Nicol stressed that nutrition policy must evolve alongside environmental targets, and that shifts towards more sustainable diets should not compromise public health.
