Plant milks contain insufficient amounts of iodine, which is a public health problem given their success.
Plant-based milks cannot replace milks of animal origin. Once again, the finding is confirmed in a study published in the journal British Journal of Nutrition. Research shows that too many people who are not lactose intolerant consume these drinks instead of cow’s or goat’s milk, which poses a public health problem, due to the nutritional profile of plant-based milks.
The study reviewed the iodine levels in 47 alternative milks (including soy, almond, coconut, oat, rice, hazelnut and hemp milk). Indeed, milk and dairy products are the foods that contribute the most to the total iodine intake of the population due to their high consumption (26% in adults and 34% in children according to ANSES).
Risk of iodine deficiency
However, according to the authors of the latest work, consuming vegetable milk instead of cow’s milk would increase the risk of iodine deficiency. To reach this conclusion, they measured the iodine contents in vegetable milks, compared to those contained in cow’s milk.
The researchers observed that the majority of plant milks did not have an adequate concentration of iodine. The levels were equivalent to 2% of those found in cow’s milk.
Thus, a glass of vegetable milk will provide about 2 micrograms per day of iodine, while the recommended nutritional intake for adults is 150 micrograms per day (and 200 for pregnant women).
Indeed, iodine is an essential element of our diet. It helps to produce thyroid hormones and is particularly important for pregnant women, since it participates in the healthy brain development of the fetus. The World Health Organization considers iodine deficiency to be the most common, yet easily preventable, cause of brain damage.
.
-1583169654.jpg "Hotly contested study links milk consumption to breast cancer")
