Customer shopping habits highlight risks of iodine deficiency in vegan diets

Switching to milk alternatives or eliminating seafood from your diet can lead to iodine deficiency, which can have negative long-term health effects, a new study shows.

A team of academics led by Dr John Harvey from Nottingham University Business School used anonymised data from more than 10,000 Co-op shoppers to analyze their shopping habits and found that switching to dairy alternatives varied widely. We investigated whether it could cause serious health problems.

The team, led by N/Lab at the University of Nottingham, identified Co-op loyalty card patrons who were making ‘big purchases’ at Co-op to increase visibility across their diet and find customers who had made the switch. To dairy alternatives.The work will be published in a magazine scientific report.

Average weekly iodine levels in grocery purchases were calculated and analyzed to determine the reduction due to the transition to plant-based milk.

The effects of dietary transitions on other key nutritional components of milk, such as calcium, vitamin B12, and saturated fat, were also analyzed, and some were fortified with plant milk to compare the effects of transitions on other nutritional elements. I did.

The primary sample analyzed consists of 10,626 regular customers who met the inclusion criteria and purchased milk at least 4 weeks before the transition point and purchased plant-based milk at least 4 weeks after the transition point.

More than 81% of customers analyzed reduced their average weekly iodine intake after switching to plant-based milk. Of these individuals, approximately 14% experienced a reduction in iodine of less than 25%, while approximately 20% experienced a severe reduction in iodine of more than 75%.

The remaining 45% experienced a decline of 25% to 75%. Similar results were observed with calcium and vitamin B12.

In contrast, more than 71% of consumers actively reduced their weekly saturated fat intake, and approximately 23% reduced their weekly intake by more than 50%.

With the increasingly popular ‘veganuaries’ currently underway, the team behind this study wants to encourage people to pay attention to their iodine intake when making sudden changes to their diet.

Dr John Harvey from the University of Nottingham Business School said: “More and more people are experimenting with plant-based foods as part of their diet every year, and there are many good reasons to consider such a transition.” Ta.

“However, our research shows that if you are considering replacing milk in your diet, it is especially important to consider whether you are getting enough iodine from other sources. Many milk alternatives are not fortified with iodine, so check the back of the package.” If your sauce isn’t fortified, consider incorporating iodized salt into your diet instead. .

Dr Simon Welham, assistant professor of nutrition, added: ‘Starting a pregnancy with too little iodine can cause permanent damage to a developing baby, so we recommend that women of childbearing age I would like to reiterate John’s points on this issue.”I would like to reiterate John’s points on this issue.”Especially when it comes to plant-based milk alternatives, check the label to make sure they contain iodine. you need to check. ”