For vegans, getting enough protein could cost other nutrients

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2026-04-23 13:24

New Zealand

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Vegans could get enough protein by replacing low-protein foods with legumes, nuts and seeds – but might lose out on other important nutrients, NZ scientists have found. Using food diaries from around 200 vegans, they calculated how much more of the protein-rich foods already in their diets they'd need to eat to get enough daily protein. However, in 40% of cases, they had to remove low-protein foods (like fruits, potatoes and grains) to keep within recommended maximum daily energy intakes. The researchers predicted that these ‘optimised’ diets would be too low in nutrients like calcium, vitamin B-12 and iodine, which would have to be taken as supplements.