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With 75% of the global population being lactose intolerant and concerns about the environment growing, plant-based milks have emerged in recent years as a viable alternative to dairy products. It is a US$20 billion global industry, with sales expected to more than double over the next decade.
With sales of $2.9 billion (€2.6 billion) last year, dairy-free alternatives make up the largest plant-based market segment in the US. Plant-based beverages make up about 15% of total milk dollar sales. Nearly half of US households purchased plant-based milk in 2023.
Yet in a recent study of 219 plant-based milk alternatives, scientists at the University of Minnesota’s Nutrition Coordinating Center found that they provided fewer nutritional benefits, including less calcium or vitamin D, than cow’s milk.
The carbon footprints of plant-based milk and dairy are very different
Since animal husbandry is linked to deforestation and methane emissions, the consumption of dairy products also has environmental and climate impacts.
According to the authors of a study titled Dairy and Plant-Based Milk: Implications for Nutrition, the average per liter greenhouse gas emissions associated with soy, oat, almond, spelt, pea and coconut milks are 62 percent higher than those associated with cow’s milk. -78% less. And the health of the planets was found.
But which type of milk is best for the planet and our bodies?
“It’s a little difficult and nuanced to answer the question of which one is best,” said Brent Kim, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future and one of the study’s authors.
“Do we mean having the smallest impact on climate change? Do we mean having the most nutritious milk, the most affordable milk, or perhaps we are more concerned about how much fresh water was used to produce that milk ?Or perhaps how much agricultural land had to be occupied to produce that milk?”
It’s clear that plant-based foods have a very low carbon footprint – this doesn’t just mean CO2.
And Kim says that although packaging and transportation are responsible for some of those emissions, the majority of emissions are generated before the crops leave the field.
environmental trade-offs
But there are also different environmental compromises when it comes to plant-based milk. While almond milk compares favorably to cow’s milk when it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, it doesn’t look so good if you take into account its water footprint. Almond milk is the best-selling plant-based milk in the US, accounting for three-quarters of total sales.
Citing low greenhouse gas emissions and good protein levels, Kim said one of the better alternatives would be milk made from pea protein.
“And if we’re concerned about freshwater use, which we certainly should be, it had one of the smallest water footprints of all the different milks,” he said, adding that soy milk also checked all of these boxes. Investigated. Although some studies have shown that soy has a slightly greater impact on climate than peas, he said even more studies have been done on soy milk. Therefore the decision is still pending.
However, milk made from pea protein is not yet widely available.
So which milk is best for our health?
With all the different brands and types on the market, is it possible to say which one is the best?
It’s difficult, says Abby Johnson, associate director of the Nutrition Coordinating Center at the University of Minnesota in the School of Public Health and lead author of the study on more than 200 different plant-based milks.
“There’s a lot of variability. It seems like every plant-based milk is prepared differently,” he said.
Dairy is considered a good source for three of the five nutrients of concern identified in the 2020-2025 US Dietary Guidelines: calcium, potassium and vitamin D.
The average American’s diet far exceeds the amount of protein needed for a healthy diet, Kim said. But that extra dairy protein is important for some groups.
“Especially for growing children, especially in areas where people struggle to get a variety of food, dairy is really important because,” said Becky Ramsing, a public health nutrition professional, registered dietitian and senior program officer. It provides a good amount of protein.” At the Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future.
“Oats are not necessarily a high-protein food,” he said. And don’t be fooled into thinking that almond milk is high in protein because it’s made from nuts.
“The way milk is made, a lot of water is added to it, so the protein content is actually very low,” he said.
Read the label!
“You can’t just take a plant-based milk off the shelf and assume it will fit a profile. Everyone is so different,” Ramsingh said. It is important to read the label to know what is in the product.
Ramsingh said he experienced this himself when he discovered that his favorite soy milk was not rich in calcium. And you might be surprised to learn just how much sugar is added to some milks.
Milk and healthy diet provide all the nutrients
One advantage plant-based milk has over cow’s milk is the added fiber. Johnson says there are some plant-based milks that provide more than 10% of the daily value of fiber — while cow’s milk doesn’t have that much fiber.
Cow milk, on the other hand, is rich in vitamin B2 or riboflavin which is important for cell growth and energy production; And phosphorus which is important for our bones and teeth.
But you can still drink that type of plant-based milk if you get your nutrients elsewhere, Johnson says.
“Eat a varied diet with lots of fruits and vegetables and you won’t have to worry about vitamin B2 or phosphorus deficiencies,” she said.
“Plant-based milk can definitely be part of a healthy diet.”
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