Ditch the milk and drink "plant milk"? Don't do it yet!

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Compiled by New Media Editor Fang Yongzhen

The concept of "plant milk" has become popular in recent years. But in fact, we are no strangers to plant milk. Almond milk, walnut milk, coconut milk, etc. are all familiar products to us, and they all belong to the category of plant milk.

Plant milk is promoted by many businesses as healthy and environmentally friendly, and is positioned in stark contrast to milk. Some people who pay attention to nutrition and are keen on fitness are also attracted by the words "0 sucrose" and "0 lactose" in the promotion.

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Plant milk does not actually contain "milk"

First of all, strictly speaking, "plant milk" is not "milk" in the true sense, because only mammals can produce milk. Take the popular oat milk for example, the formal product name can only be called "oat drink".

Plant milk is not actually a drink made by mixing plants with milk. The so-called "plant milk" is a drink made by crushing, soaking, grinding, homogenizing, filtering, sterilizing and other processes of plants containing certain proteins such as grains, beans and nuts. It is a liquid that looks and tastes a bit like milk, but is actually unrelated to milk.

People have been drinking plant milk for centuries. The soy milk we have been drinking can be said to be the "older generation" of plant milk. The term "plant milk" has only become popular in recent years. In fact, they are plant protein drinks.

The following are the main types of plant milk:

☞ Cereal milk: oat milk, rice milk (rice milk), quinoa milk, corn juice can also be considered

☞ Soy milk: soy milk, pea milk, chickpea milk

☞ Nut milk: cashew milk, pistachio milk, almond milk, walnut milk

☞ Others: flaxseed milk, coconut milk, various melon seed milks, etc.

▲Oatmeal drink (Photo source: an e-commerce website)

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Plant milk cannot completely replace milk

Plant milk looks and tastes like milk, and many people choose to use it to replace milk in breakfast, or use it to make coffee, such as soy milk latte, almond milk mocha, etc. These milks are actually derived from plants, and their nutritional content is still different from that of real milk.

"Plant milk is not a new product, but a newly hyped concept," said Fan Zhihong, associate professor at the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering of China Agricultural University, in an interview with the media. She pointed out that compared with animal milk, plant milk has a relatively low calcium content and lacks nutrients such as vitamins A, D, and E contained in cow's milk and goat's milk. In her opinion, such products will enrich the diversity of market products, but if there is no adverse reaction to milk, it may be better to drink milk for nutritional supply.

▲The advantages and disadvantages of common plant milks. (Image source: "Renwei Health" WeChat official account)

From the perspective of nutritional ingredients, except for soy milk which has a protein content close to that of milk, and oat milk which has a higher carbohydrate content than milk, all kinds of plant milks are generally lower than milk in terms of the three major nutrients (carbohydrates, protein, fat), calcium, vitamins and other nutrients.

▲Comparison of nutritional components of common plant milk and milk (Image source: NetEase Cultural and Creative "Haohao Life Office" WeChat official account)

At the same time, since these proteins are derived from plants, except for soy milk, they cannot provide all the essential amino acids. Studies have found that the amino acid structure of animal protein in milk is closer to that in the human body, so its nutritional value is also higher. Especially for growing children, plant protein cannot replace animal protein.

Therefore, even though plant milk has some unique advantages, it is still difficult to completely replace milk.

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Who is plant milk suitable for?

Although there is no "plant milk" that can completely replace milk, if you are allergic to milk protein or lactose intolerant or are a vegetarian, plant milk is still a good choice.

Milk protein allergy: 2%-3% of children are allergic to milk protein, which may cause rash, vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the stool, and severe cases may cause anaphylactic shock. Although most allergic people can recover by the age of 16, some adults will continue to be allergic to milk protein. For these people, "plant milk" can replace "milk" in breakfast, baked goods, and coffee drinks.

Lactose intolerance: Diarrhea after drinking milk may be caused by "lactose intolerance". For patients with lactose intolerance, drinking "plant milk" can avoid symptoms such as diarrhea and bloating because "plant milk" does not contain "lactose".

However, food experts warn that the almonds and soy in plant milk may also cause allergies, and people with food allergies need to make sure they are not allergic to these foods before drinking it.

Dietary restrictions: For example, vegetarians and vegans cannot drink cow's milk and other animal dairy products, but can drink "plant milk". However, it should be noted that some soy milk is a mixture of cow's milk and soy milk.

It should be pointed out that it is not recommended for children under 1 year old to drink plant milk. Because the calcium content of plant milk varies greatly, and the absorption rate and bioavailability are low, it generally needs to be fortified with vitamin D and calcium. Unless the child has a cow's milk protein allergy or lactose intolerance, or needs a special diet, plant milk can be used as a substitute, but it also needs to be consumed under the guidance of a doctor.

In order to improve the quality of some plant milk products on the market, calcium and vitamins are added for nutritional fortification, and white sugar or fructose syrup is added for flavoring. Therefore, it is recommended that consumers check the ingredient list and nutritional composition table of the product in detail when purchasing different types of plant milk.

Finally, although it is difficult for plant milk to completely replace milk in terms of nutrition, there are many types of plant milk, and it is a good choice to drink occasionally. Remember, the first priority of plant milk may be to taste good, not nutrition.

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(The content of this article is compiled from Foodie Research Institute, Dairy Network, Renwei Health, "Nutrition Book for Losing Weight While Eating", Dingxiang Doctor, The Paper, Modern Express, etc.)

Produced by: Science Central Kitchen

Produced by: Beijing Science and Technology News | Beijing Science and Technology Media

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