Share to ClassroomStudy Links Plant Milks to Low Iodine
A new study says that eating plant-based foods instead of milk, cheese and yoghurt could mean many young people and women do not get enough iodine. Iodine is a mineral that the body needs. Scientists in the United Kingdom studied products made from soya, oats or almonds. If people replaced a fifth to a third of their dairy, the percentage of teenage girls without enough iodine would rise from 54% to 65%. For women aged 19 to 49, it would go up from 32% to 42%.
The problem is that plant-based products have very little iodine unless companies add it. The body uses iodine to help children grow and to support the brain. In the UK, dairy gives children about half of their iodine. But companies do not have to add vitamins and minerals to plant-based products. The researchers looked at many plant-based milks, yoghurts and cheeses. Only 12% had added iodine.
If people stopped eating dairy completely, 80% of teenage girls would not get enough iodine. The researchers want a new rule that makes companies add iodine. Some brands, like Alpro and some Oatly drinks, already do this. A UK dietitian, Nichola Ludlam-Raine, said people who switch are not always at risk, because their whole diet matters. She told shoppers to check the label.
