Research
Micronutrients & recovery
Plant-based drinks are not nutritionally equivalent to cow's milk and should not be recommended as full substitutes without further evidence, as they often lack protein and may contain harmful additives or inorganic calcium.
Do not assume plant-based drinks are healthy substitutes for milk. They often have less protein and more added sugar or oil. If you use them, check the label. They are not nutritionally equivalent to cow's milk.
ModerateRefutesMEDIUM confidence
Cow’s milk and plant-based drinks are completely different foods... nutritionally, cow’s milk and plant-based drinks are completely different foods, and an evidence-based conclusion on the health value of the plant-based drinks requires more studies in humans.
Why this rating
Based on nutrient analysis and limited clinical studies, with a call for more research.
Source
Milk and dairy products: good or bad for human health? An assessment of the totality of scientific evidence
Tanja Kongerslev Thorning et al. · Food & Nutrition Research · 2016
DOI 10.3402/fnr.v60.32527
narrative_reviewCited 475×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- Dairy intake facilitates weight loss and improves body composition (reducing fat mass, preserving lean mass) during energy restriction in adults, and is associated with a reduced risk of childhood obesity.Good
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