From oats to goats. Comparing plant and animal milk and figuring out which one is healthier
A recent study from the University of Padova, Italy analysed different brands of oat, almond, coconut, rice and soya milk, and then compared it to cow and goat milk. They found that indeed plant milks have lower levels of protein and fat than animal milk. Except for soya milk which had more protein than cow and goat milk, and a high amount of minerals. But that’s not the whole story.
Plant milk having less fat than animal milk is not a grand breakthrough. Just by comparing the nutritional information on the packages we can see that there’s often less fat and protein in plant-based milk. Question solved? Well…
…The researchers also found something a bit more interesting. Plant milk is lacking in one essential nutrient present in cow and goat milk – iodine. Some plant milk brands supplement iodine with red algae, but some do not. So if you don’t use iodized salt and don’t eat dairy, you might want to think of iodine.
Another point for animal milk – Cow and goat milk showed higher levels of minerals than plant milk (unless the milk was fortified). Rice milk had the least minerals out of all kinds of plant milk.
But plant milk makes a comeback – Oat milk was found to have decent levels of soluble fibre which can improve digestion as well as antioxidants which the researchers say can lower LDL “bad” cholesterol levels.
And the plot thickens… Oat milk has also been shown to have some phytates which are considered anti-nutrients as they can limit the absorption of some minerals such as Zinc, Iron and Calcium.
Plant milk comes on top once again – Whole animal milk was shown to have higher levels of saturated fat than plant milk (except coconut milk). Saturated fat is known for raising LDL “bad” cholesterol levels and worsening heart health.
The final point goes to animal milk – The researchers also note how plant milk nutrient compositions vary considerably across brands, while animal milk varies much less.
But wait, plant milk strikes one final blow – Sometimes, producing one litre of soya milk can require 20 times less water and 10 times less land than producing cow milk.
So what can we take away from this?
- Whole cow, goat and coconut milk contain high amounts of saturated fat, which can worsen your heart health.
- Animal milk contains more protein on average, except for soy milk, unless protein is added to plant milk.
- Animal milk has a ridiculously higher environmental impact than most plant milk types.
- Plant milk in general is lower in vitamins and minerals unless fortified.
- Plant milk brands vary a lot in their nutrient composition, so it’s good to know how to read labels.
- Oat milk is a bit of a yin-yang. It has high levels of phytates which can worsen the absorption of Calcium, Iron and Zinc. But it also has plenty of soluble fibre and antioxidants which can improve digestion.
- Soy milk stands out from other plant milk types in its nutritional similarity to cow’s milk, particularly in regard to protein content and quality.
- This wasn’t in the research article but plant milks also often contain added seed oils, which some nutritionists are concerned about because of their high omega-6 content.
The next time you’re at the supermarket pondering on which milk to choose, just remember that there isn’t necessarily a clear winner here. The only aspect where plant milk is a clear winner is when it comes to the environmental impact. But overall, both plant and animal milk have something to eek away from, and something to love them for.
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