Cow’s Milk or a Plant-based Milk: Which is More Nutritious?

Nowadays, plant-based milks are all the rage. And rightly so given that more people need alternatives to cow’s milk because of milk (or lactose) intolerances, milk allergies and individual preferences for vegan and vegetarian diets and environmentally friendlier dietary choices.

But, although these plant-based milks (or non-dairy alternatives) are advertised as healthy and wholesome and many consumers believe the milk alternatives are an acceptable direct substitute for cow’s milk, little research has been done cross-comparing the nutritional profiles of these milk alternatives with traditional cow’s milk.

So, a few researchers dug deep into the nutritional profiles (and the health benefits) of the four most commonly consumed milk beverages (almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk, and rice milk). Their findings, highlighted in this post below (and in their recently published scientific manuscript) capture their scientific thoughts. (Check out the Venga et al reference listed below for more details!) Hopefully, this information will help you make the most informed decisions for yourselves and your families.

First of all, why is cow’s milk so popular? Mammalian milk (including cow’s milk) is widely consumed due to its nutritional content. It contains a great combination of  nutrients because it is the only source of energy available to the babies of different mammals. This is why breast milk is considered a near-perfect source of nutrition for a newborn infant. When human milk is not available, cow’s milk is typically used as a substitute because of the nutritional similarities.

Are the non-dairy alternatives even milk? Actually, there is ongoing debate about whether these alternatives should be called “milks” at all.

So what did the researchers find?

• Cow’s milk is the most balanced milk nutritionally, followed by soy and then almond milk. (See Table 1 below)
• The significantly lower calorie content of plant-based milks is one of the biggest attractions for consumers.
• Cow’s milk is a very important source of protein in the human diet; only soy milk is comparable in providing a similar amount of protein per the same number of calories
• Nutritionally, soy milk is the best alternative for replacing cow’s milk in the human diet. However, the “beans flavor” and presence of anti-nutrients have encouraged people to look for other alternatives such as almond, coconut, and rice milks.
• Nutritionally, soybeans and almonds should be the ideal raw materials for milk preparation in replacing cow’s milk in the human diet.
• Calcium in most brands of plant-based alternative milks is typically added to mimic the levels found in cow’s milk. Still, milk is a much better source of calcium than soy milk or almond milk.
• Various other minerals are found in cow’s milk (magnesium, phosphorous, potassium) which are found in lower but somewhat comparable quantities in most alternative milks except coconut milk. Cow’s milk is also a good source of vitamins; among alternative milks, only soy milk contains comparable amounts of nutrients.
• Although almond milk has a balanced nutrient profile and much better flavor, the nutrient density and the total number of calories are not as rich as that of cow’s milk. So, when consuming almond milk instead of cow’s milk, care should be taken to ensure that various essential nutrients are available through other sources of the diet in appropriate quantities.
• Rice milk and coconut milk cannot act as an ideal alternative for cow’s milk because of a limited nutrition profile, but they are the alternatives for consumers allergic to soybeans and/or almonds.

Some additional important notes about coconut and rice milks:

• Research has shown that consumption of rice milk as an alternative to cow’s milk without proper care can result in malnutrition (especially with respect to infants because rice milk is not as nutritious)
• Rice milks that are unfortified, especially those that are homemade, also lack in vitamins and minerals such as calcium, B-12
• Some rice milks in Mississippi, USA have total arsenic contents in excess of 70% of the levels set by the World Health Organization for drinking water. Exposure to arsenic over the long term can cause cancer and various other health complications. This health issue must be addressed promptly to protect consumer health.
• Various researchers have found conclusive evidence that consumption of coconut milk can increase high density lipoprotein (HDL; the “healthy” cholesterol), BUT it also contains a high amount of saturated fat which is generally associated with heart disease

So, there you have it. If you are able to drink milk, then milk will give you the most nutritional bang for your buck. However, if milk is not an option for you, soy milk should be your next go to, followed by almond milk. For a quick nutritional comparison of the milks, see Table 1 below.

           Table 1. Nutritional Comparison of Cow’s Milk vs Non-Dairy Alternatives

Dietary Nutrient	Recom Daily Amount (EAR)	Cow’s Milk	Soy Milk	Almond Milk	Coconut Milk	Rice Milk
Carbs (g) Sugars Fibers	130 35	12 12 –	5 3.5 1	1-2 < 1 < 1	1-2 < 1 0.25	25 13 –
Fats (g) Saturated Cholesterol	35	2-3 1.5 12	4-5 < 1 –	2-3 – –	4-5 4-4 –	2-3 < 1 –
Proteins (g)	55	8-9	8-9	1-2	0	< 1
Minerals (mg) Calcium Iron Magnesium Phosphorus Potassium Sodium Zinc	1100 6.5 350 600 4700 1500 9.4	305 0.1 27 232 366 100 1.0	205 < 1 50 110 365 65 0.8	325 – 21 48 65 145 0.5	245 0.1 35 – 47 64 0.7	245 0.1 35 63 50 72 0.8
Vitamins Vitamin C (mg) Thiamine (mg) Riboflavin (mg) Niacin (mg) Vitamin B6 (mg) Folate, DFE (ug) Vitamin B-12 (ug) Vitamin A (ug) Vitamin E (mg) Vitamin D (ug)	75 1 1.1 11 1.2 320 2 600 12 10	– 0.05 0.45 0.23 0.9 12 1.15 142 0.2 2.9	– 0.01 0.25 0.3 0.1 34 0.7 33 4 1.9	– – 0.2 – – 19 1 77 3.8 2.3	– – – – – 19 < 1 60 – 3	– – 0.3 – – – 1 67.5 3 2.1
Calories	1800-2000	100	95	36	50	130-135

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