Plant-Based Milk Substitutes: Factors to Lead to Its Use and Benefits to Human Health

Abstract

The consumption of vegetable milk has grown in recent years. Medical reasons are some reasons for the increase in the number of consumers of this type of drink. Lactose intolerance and allergy to cow’s milk protein are the major factors that lead to this consumption in addition to the option for a healthier lifestyle, there are also consumers concerned with animal health and welfare who are adept at restrictive diets like vegetarianism and veganism. Vegetable extracts are water-soluble extracts from legumes, oilseeds, cereals, or pseudocereals that resemble bovine milk in appearance, are considered substitutes for cow’s milk due to the similar chemical composition and can also be used as substitutes for direct use or in some animal milk-based preparations. In contrast, these substitutes have different sensory characteristics, stability, and nutritional composition of cow’s milk. Plant extracts have health-beneficial compounds, phenolic compounds, unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidant activity and bioactive compounds such as phytosterols and isoflavones making plant-based milk substitutes an interesting choice.