A study has found that switching from dairy products to plant-based alternatives "could lead to micronutrient deficiencies," with young people and women most at risk, The Guardian reported. The report, written by Ian Sample, the paper's science editor, was published on November 4, 2026.
According to The Guardian, the concern is not limited to a complete switch. Even moving partly to vegan alternatives to milk, cheese and yoghurt could lead to falls in nutrient levels, the report said. The summary available for this story breaks off at that point, so it does not name the specific nutrients or say how large the falls could be.
The Guardian also reported that the researchers called for vegan products to be fortified with iodine in particular. The summary does not give the reasons for singling out iodine, and it does not describe the study's methods, sample size, or the period it covered.
The Guardian's account frames the risk as tied to the shift away from dairy itself, and it presents the call for fortification as a response to that risk. Readers who need the full findings should consult the complete article, which is the only source used for this story.