New study reveals plant-based beverages lack nutrients compared to cow’s milk

According to a recent study highlighted by SciTechDaily, while plant-based beverages have surged in popularity due to their eco-friendly image, they may not be as nutritionally beneficial as many consumers believe. 

A study suggests that consumers should focus on minimally processed foods and advocates for better manufacturing practices to preserve nutritional value.

In the past decade, the global market for plant-based beverages has seen significant growth. Drinks made from oats, almonds, soy, and rice have become popular alternatives to cow’s milk, especially in coffee and oatmeal.

A key driver behind the growing demand for plant-based beverages is their generally lower climate footprint compared to cow’s milk. However, a new study conducted by the University of Copenhagen, in collaboration with the University of Brescia in Italy, challenges the common belief that these alternatives are healthier than cow’s milk.

The researchers examined how chemical reactions during processing impact the nutritional quality of ten different plant-based drinks, comparing them to cow’s milk. The findings are clear:

“We definitely need to consume more plant-based foods. But if you’re looking for proper nutrition and believe that plant-based drinks can replace cow’s milk, you’d be mistaken,” says Marianne Nissen Lund, professor in the Department of Food Science and lead author of the study.

While cow’s milk is essentially a ready-to-consume product, oats, rice, and almonds undergo significant processing to be transformed into drinkable beverages. Additionally, each of the plant-based drinks tested underwent Ultra High Temperature (UHT) treatment, a common process used for long-life milk products worldwide. In contrast, in Denmark, milk is usually found in the refrigerated sections of supermarkets and is low-pasteurized, meaning it undergoes a much gentler heat treatment.

“Despite increased plant-based drink sales, cow milk sales remain higher. Consequently, plant-based drinks undergo more intense heat treatments than the milk typically sold in Denmark, in order to extend their shelf life. But such treatment comes at a cost,” says Marianne Nissen Lund.

UHT treatment triggers a so-called “Maillard reaction,” a chemical reaction between protein and sugar that occurs when food is fried or roasted at high temperatures. Among other things, this reaction impacts the nutritional quality of the proteins in a given product.

“Most plant-based drinks already have significantly less protein than cow’s milk. And the protein, which is present in low content, is then additionally modified when heat treated. This leads to the loss of some essential amino acids, which are incredibly important for us. While the nutritional contents of plant-based drinks vary greatly, most of them have relatively low nutritional quality,” explains the professor.

By Naila Huseynova