For centuries, cow-based milk has been the norm with many human beings relying on it for sustenance and nutrition. With the availability of modern plant-based alternatives, it's interesting to learn the difference between these types of milk.
Popularity of Milk
According to Newsweek, plant-based milk substitutes have started to gain popularity as they deliver the same nutritional benefits compared to natural cow's milk. As such, scientists found that there could be certain things wherein these alternatives can compete in terms of nutritional value.
The New Zealand Embassy in Washington released data revealing that 12% of US households have milk alternatives. At least once weekly, a third of Americans drank non-dairy milk, or basically other cow milk substitutes.
For certain people, a reason for them to be drinking milk alternatives is because they have specific dietary requirements. Other people make the choice to switch due to concerns regarding ethical or environmental implications.
Due to their close similarities when it comes to how these alternatives taste and how they feel, Newsweek reports that these substitutes still don't present the same nutritional value found in cow's milk. This means that these alternatives cannot be a direct nutritional replacement.
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Nutrients Found in Milk
Abigail Johnson, a University of Minnesota professor in nutrition and human health, commented on cow's milk and its nutritional value. As such, daily drinking of cow's milk is often a source of calcium, vitamin D, and protein.
The professor highlighted that most people in the US need more vitamin D and calcium and that cow's milk is naturally good for people to get calcium. Aside from these, calcium milk is also a source of digestible protein in a person's diet.
Johnson and her team initiated a study to compare plant-based milk and cow milk to find their differences in terms of nutritional benefits. The professor examined 237 plant-based milk alternatives to study their nutritional content.
The types of milk they studied were those sold in the US, and they found that 72% of them had comparable calcium and vitamin D levels as cow's milk. However, they also found that plant-based alternatives had significantly lower protein content.
Cow's Milk Nutritional Value
New Scientist reports that a third of these plant-based milk also had less calcium and vitamin D content. The types of milk substitutes they tested included products made from oats, almonds, rice, and soya beans.
When it comes to protein content, a cup of cow's milk already has 8 grams of protein. This is equivalent to a sixth of an average adult's ideal daily protein intake.
In plant-based milk, 16% of them had the same protein levels as cow's milk, with some of them even having higher levels like products made from soy and pea. However, plant-based milk's median protein content was only 2 grams per cup.
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