Washington DC [USA], Jul 24 (ANI): Many people consume other plant-based milk products like corn, soy, and almonds, but do plant-based products provide the same nutrients as milk? According to new research results, most don't. Milk is an important source of calcium and vitamin D, both of which have been identified in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 as a food that is responsible for public health when consumed. Milk is also a major source of protein in the American diet. To find out how the nutritional content of plant-based milk compares to that of milk, researchers looked at more than 200 plant-based milk sold in the United States in 2023 - more products than those included in previous studies. Compared to milk, only 12% of other milk contains equal or more of the three nutrients studied: calcium, vitamin D and protein. Abigail Johnson, assistant professor and director of the Nutrition Coordinating Center at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, will present findings at NUTRITION 2023, the annual flagship meeting of the American Society for Nutrition held July 22-25 in Boston. "Our results show that many plant nutrients for dairy products are not nutritionally relevant to dairy products," Johnson said. "Based on these findings, consumers should look for dairy products that contain calcium and vitamin D as food. They can also consider adding other sources of calcium and vitamin D to their diet.  The University of Minnesota Nutrition Coordinating Center maintains a database of approximately 19,000 foods to determine dietary intake and human research. "We know from our food grade for nutrition studies that consumers are choosing plant-based dairy alternatives," Johnson said. "This project aims to increase the number of these milks available in the Nutrition Coordinating Center's food database."  The study included nutrition information from nutrition labels and ingredient information for 233 milk replacement products from 23 different manufacturers. For each product, the researchers applied a nutritional formula to measure complete nutritional information. They also compared the nutritional content of different products within the same category - for example, almond milk, oat milk and soy milk - with each other and with milk. Compared to milk, only 28 of the other plant-based products contain the same or more calcium, vitamin D, and protein. Almost two-thirds of the products included in the study are from almonds, oat or soy. The researchers found that 170 of the plant-based milks were fortified with both calcium and vitamin D, and the level of the wall was almost the same as that of milk. Specifically, 76% of oat products, 69% of soy products, and 66% of other almond products are fortified with both calcium and vitamin D. The median protein content is 2.0 grams (g) of protein per 240 milliliters (ml) of water, with a wide range from 0 to 12 g. Only 38 (16%) of the milk substitutes studied had a protein level greater than or equal to 8 g per 240 ml found in milk. Soy and bean products can be higher in protein. "Our findings underscore the importance of making sure consumers are aware that many of the plant-based milks on the market today are not nutritionally equivalent to milk," Johnson said. "Requiring labeling of products and food information to the public is one of the ways that can help in warning and educating consumers."  Next, the researchers plan to find out what other nutrients in milk make them different from milk. For example, many of these products contain fiber, suggesting that they can help meet some of the nutritional needs that milk does not have.