Most plant-based milk alternatives not nutritionally equal to dairy milk

Key takeaways:

• Of more than 200 plant-based milk alternatives, 12% had similar or greater amounts of three nutrients vs. dairy milk.
• Only 16% of the alternatives had a protein level of 8 g per 240 mL or higher.

BOSTON — Most milk alternatives like almond- or soy-based products had smaller amounts of calcium, vitamin D and protein compared with dairy milk, a study presented at NUTRITION found.

“I had assumed that milk alternatives would be designed to match cow's milk, but they were quite different,” Abigail Johnson, PhD, RD, an assistant professor in the division of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota, told Healio. “The best nutritional match still appears to be soy milk with added calcium and vitamin D. This is what is currently recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for people who don’t consume cow's milk.”

In a press release, Johnson noted that prior dietary assessments for nutrition studies have shown that more consumers are choosing plant-based milk alternatives (PBMAs). However, their nutritional content has not been well established.

To fill in literature gaps, Johnson and colleagues collected the nutrition label and ingredient information of 237 PBMAs from the University of Minnesota Nutrition Coordinating Center’s database. They compared PBMAs across types, including those based on soy (n = 29), almond (n = 79) and oat (n = 63), for levels of vitamin D, calcium and protein. Products must have had both vitamin D and calcium on their product labels to be considered fortified.

Overall, 72% of the PBMAs were fortified with calcium and vitamin D, the researchers reported. Across product types, 76% of oat-based, 69% of soy-based and 66% of almond-based PBMAs were fortified.

Compared with dairy milk, 12% of PBMAs had similar or greater amounts of calcium, vitamin D and protein, according to the release.

The median level of protein among PBMAs was 2 g per 240 mL, with a variability that ranged from 0 g to 12 g. Just 16% of PBMAs had a protein level greater than or equal to 8 g per 240 mL, the amount that’s found in dairy milk, according to the release. Protein levels were more likely to be higher among pea- and soy-based products.

“Primary care physicians can encourage their patients to read the labels of the products they consume to make sure that they are providing a source of calcium and vitamin D,” Johnson said. “This is important if they do not get those nutrients from other parts of their diet, like from cow's milk, yogurt and cheese. Patients can work with a registered dietitian if they require more personalized nutrition advice than their primary care physician can provide.”

References:

• Johnson A, et al. Assessing calcium, vitamin D, and protein content of plant-based milk alternatives available in the U.S. Presented at: NUTRITION; July 22-25, 2023; Boston.
• Nutritional content of most milk alternatives doesn’t measure up to cow’s milk. https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/995517. Published July 24, 2023. Accessed July 24, 2023.