Vegans in Sweden got more nutrients from ultra-processed foods, study finds

Nutrients differ by diet type

In the full study population, participants with the highest ultra-processed food intake had lower general nutrition knowledge and consumed less whole grain and more free sugars. They consumed less saturated fat and more polyunsaturated fat.

In comparisons across diets, youths following a vegan diet obtained more energy and more nutrients from ultra-processed foods than youths consuming lacto-ovo-vegetarian, pescatarian, or omnivore diets. The nutrients cited as coming in larger amounts from ultra-processed foods for vegans included n-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, vitamin B12, calcium and zinc, along with more salt. Vegans did not have a higher energy intake or higher body mass index. Vegans consumed more total dietary fiber and more polyunsaturated fatty acids, and less saturated fat. The study also reported that vegans obtained all their vitamin D and vitamin B12 from ultra-processed foods.

Across the entire study population, ultra-processed food intake was not associated with biochemical indicators of nutritional status.

Plant-based options can be ultra-processed

Dietary guidance often encourages more plant-based eating, while many studies associate higher ultra-processed food intake with less favorable health outcomes. This study adds youth-specific information by showing that, as ultra-processed plant-based alternatives are defined today, vegans reported getting more of several nutrients (including vitamin D and vitamin B12) from ultra-processed products than other diet groups—and that higher ultra-processed intake across the whole sample tracked with lower nutrition knowledge and fewer whole grains.

One-time snapshot limits causes

This is a cross-sectional study, meaning it captured diet and nutrient information at one time point, so it cannot establish cause and effect. It relied on four 24-hour food recalls and classification of foods into ultra-processed versus non-ultra-processed using the NOVA system. The findings are based on 244 youths in Sweden (ages 16–24) in the VeggiSkills-Sweden study, so generalizability to other countries or age groups is uncertain. The abstract does not report biochemical marker details, and the study found no association between ultra-processed intake and biochemical nutritional status indicators, which limits conclusions about biological impact in this sample.