Iodine deficiency risk for people following a vegetarian or vegan diet Original paper

Any time a common type of food is restricted during a diet, there’s some risk of nutritional deficiency, as nutrients that are common in one type of food may not be prevalent enough in the replacement foods. Some researchers suspect that vegetarian and vegan diets pose a risk for iodine deficiency. The authors behind the present study sought to provide an updated systematic review on the topic.

This systematic review was designed to evaluate iodine intake and risk for deficiency in vegan and vegetarian adults. A total of 15 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis.

Studies generally found lower iodine status and lower intake in vegans and vegetarians, compared to omnivores, although there were some studies in which iodine status, as measured via urinary iodine concentration, was comparable. Iodine intake data was limited by a lack of recording of the contribution of iodized salt.

Notes: Seaweed, iodized salt, and iodine supplementation are all viable sources of iodine for people following vegan and vegetarian diets.