People making lifestyle changes to help prevent the planet from human-induced damage is surely a good thing, right? Well, one popular lifestyle change may not be as healthy as people think.
Replacing meat and dairy and other animal-based foods in your diet will, in most cases, certainly lower your contribution of carbon emissions. That’s good for the world, but is it good for you personally?
The answer to that question lies in which foods you are substituting in for meat and dairy. If your replacement foods comprise mostly nuts, fruit, grains and vegetables, then the news for you is good.
What many people are doing, however, is replacing meat and dairy with imitation substitutes. These substitute foods mimic – or at least try to – the taste and texture of the animal-based ones they are replacing.
For those who love the taste of beef, bacon, cheese and the myriad other animal food products, that’s perfectly understandable.
The problem with these plant-based ‘meat and dairy’ products is that, while they may be successful in capturing the flavour and form, some researchers believe they may not provide the equivalent nutrition.
Recognising this, Australian researchers have published a new study examining the risks associated with increasingly popular substitution phenomenon. They used ‘dietary modelling’ to assess the theoretical nutritional implications for the Australian population of substituting ‘imitation’ plant-based foods.
Their findings suggest “that switching to plant-based ‘milk’ and plant-based ‘meat’ may adversely impact the intake of some nutrients”. The modelling showed a likely increase in the intake of iron, sodium and magnesium, but a decrease for most other nutrients.
Four key nutrients
For the authors of the study, published in the journal Nutrients, the decrease of four specific nutrients raised alarm bells. They were vitamin B12, iodine, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and zinc. The predicted declines in intake of these nutrients varied from 7 per cent (zinc) to 19 per cent (vitamin B12).
Iodine is an essential component of thyroid hormones and is critical for brain development. Vitamin B12 is important for neurological pathways and normal blood functioning. Zinc is an important component of many enzymes needed to keep you healthy. Omega-3 has health benefits throughout life, from foetal development through to keeping your heart and brain healthy as you age.
Many Australians are already falling short of the recommended intake levels of these nutrients. Substituting meat and dairy products with imitation equivalents and without considering intake through diet or supplements, is likely to further exacerbate the problem.
Does Australia need to do better?
While Australian consumers can take action themselves, the makers of these substitutes could also do more, the authors say. They use iodine to illustrate the point.
“In the UK around 20 per cent of plant milks are iodine fortified but, here in Australia, just 1 per cent of plant-based ‘milks’ sold in supermarkets contain iodine.”
Australian manufacturers of plant-based milks have promoted the fact that calcium is added to their products. The inclusion of calcium qualifies these ‘milks’ for inclusion in the same food group as dairy milk, the authors say. But should they be looking at adding nutrients such as vitamin B12 and iodine?
One of the study’s key recommendations is to reconsider regulations for fortifying meat and dairy replacements with these nutrients.
But the wheels of regulation are renowned for turning slowly. With that in mind, if you’re considering (or have already switched to) meat and dairy substitutes, be mindful of this. Use your change as an opportunity to pay closer attention to nutrient requirements, and ensuring yours are met.
Have you tried any meat or dairy alternatives? Or do you tend to stick to the real deal? Let us know in the comments section below.
