Non-dairy, plant-based milks aren’t as nutritious as the milk extracted from cows, says a new study.
Several people in the US have the believe that dairy alternatives are healthier than cow’s milk, which isn’t always true, say the researchers.
For the new study, nutritionist Ellen Klosz along with his team analysed 35 non-dairy milk types, including several brands of coconut, almond, soy and oat, to find out about their health benefits.
The team scored each brand milk on the basis of their nutritional profile, milk flavour as well as texture. The researchers also differentiated the level of minerals and vitamins present in the non-dairy alternatives from one serving of dairy milk. They calculated the nutrition scores on the basis of saturated fat, calories, protein, sodium, sugar and fiber content as many plant milks contain added sugars. Cow’s milk, on the other hand, contains natural sugar (lactose).
Out of all the surveyed brands, unsweetened Silk Organic Soy Milk ranked highest based on its texture, nutrition, vitamins and minerals levels. However, the brand’s other milk, Original Silk Coconut Milk stood at the lowest rank mainly due to the milk’s nutrition content.
As per the researchers, the aim of the study was to make sure that people are well informed about non-dairy milks before buying them. They should read the printed labels and go through the ingredients before buying the products.