Dairy alternatives are commonly plant-based substitutes of dairy products possess various health benefits in comparison to dairy-based products in the market3. Factors that may steer people toward nondairy milk alternatives include adherence to a vegan diet, lactose intolerance, cow’s milk allergy, or simply preference11.
Delivering the Nutritional Needs by Fortifications
Dairy alternative products are often fortified with nutrients such as calcium, iodine, vitamin D, and vitamin B12 to have a similar nutrient levels to dairy products4,6. On the other hand, dairy alternatives can be fortified with certain nutrients as well as to make it more comparable to cow’s milk1.
Plant-based yogurt or milk alternatives are always fortified with vitamin D2 which important for bone development and general wellness8. Soy, rice, almond, coconut and other plant-based beverages and yogurt are often intended as dairy alternatives8.
Incorporation of vitamins and minerals blends such as calcium, vitamin A and B, as well as similar amount of protein content as dairy milk makes it the most similar alternative to cow’s milk in terms of its nutritional profile1,11. In addition, tri-calcium phosphate is often used for fortification in soy milk drinks5 which is important for healthy bones and teeth2.
An inadequate dietary intake of iodine leads to thyroid diseases5. This can be improved by increasing our iodine intake via the consumption of fortified dairy or dairy alternatives milk products10.
Almond milk is another popular choice. It is always fortified with calcium and Vitamin D which are good for growth and development for children1.
In a conclusion,
Dairy alternatives that derived from plants are healthy alternatives to dairy products. They contain comparable essential vitamins and minerals with lower fats, cholesterol as well as being lactose free9. At DPO, we are honored to be in partnership with Hexagon, to bring you a wide range of vitamins and minerals choices that will elevate the quality of your dairy alternative products.
1Bridges, M. (2018). Moo-ove Over, Cow’s Milk: The rise of plant-based dairy alternatives. Practical Gastroenterology: Nutrition Issues in Gastroenterology. 173, 20-27. https://med.virginia.edu/ginutrition/wp-content/uploads/sites/199/2014/06/January-18-Milk-Alternatives.pdf
2Kaiyuan, C., Wei, Z., Weng, X., Zhang, L., Liu, Y., Han, C., & Xia, W. (2021). Injectable tricalcium phosphate/calcium sulfate granule enhances bone repair by reversible setting reaction. Biochemical and Biophysical Research Communications, 557, 151-158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbrc.2021.03.145
3Maringo, K. (2018). Dairy alternatives: How to replace milk, cheese, butter, and more. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323411
4McClements, D. J. (2020). Development of next-generation nutritionally fortified plant-based milk substitutes: Structural design principles. Foods, 9(4), 421. https://doi.org/10.3390/foods9040421
5Scholz-Ahrens, K. E., Ahrens, F., & Barth, C. A. (2019). Nutritional and health attributes of milk and milk imitations. European Journal of Nutrition. https://doi.org//10.1007/s00394-019-01936-3
6Sebastiani, G., Herranz Barbero, A., Borrás-Novell, C., Alsina Casanova, M., Aldecoa-Bilbao, V., Andreu-Fernández, V., Pascual Tutusaus, M., Ferrero Martínez, S., Gómez Roig, M.D., García-Algar, O. (2019). The effects of vegetarian and vegan diet during pregnancy on the health of mothers and offspring. Nutrients, 11, 557. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11030557
7Singhal, S., Baker, R. D., & Baker, S. S. (2017). A Comparison of the nutritional value of cowʼs milk and nondairy beverages. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, 64(5), 799–805. https://doi.org/10.1097/mpg.0000000000001380
8U. S. Food and Drug Administration. (2016). Food Additives Permitted for Direct Addition to Food for Human Consumption; Vitamin D2 and Vitamin D3. Department Of Health and Human Services. https://s3.amazonaws.com/public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2016-16738.pdf
9Vanga, S. K., & Raghavan, V. (2018). How well do plant based alternatives fare nutritionally compared to cow’s milk?. Journal of food science and technology, 55(1), 10–20. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-017-2915-y
10Whitbread, J. S., Murphy, K. J., Clifton, P. M., & Keogh, J. B. (2021). Iodine excretion and intake in women of reproductive age in south australia eating plant-based and omnivore diets: A Pilot Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(7), 3547. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073547
11Zandona, L., Lima, C., & Lannes, S. (2020). Plant-Based Milk Substitutes: Factors to lead to its use and benefits to human health. milk substitutes – Selected Aspects, Małgorzata Ziarno, IntechOpen, https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94496