Plant-based drinks as milk substitutes: mineral elements intake and fatty acids profile

In the last decade, cow’s milk is often replaced plant-based drinks for different reasons as lactose intolerance, cow’s milk proteins allergy, vegan lifestyle and other health and environmental reasons [1]. “Vegetal milks” are lactose and cholesterol free, the amount of protein is often limited, and nutrients found in milk, such as calcium, are lacking [2]. Plant-based drinks don’t have a quality standard, the nutritional composition is different from milk and can change among different beverages, even within the same group [3]. The beverages composition in fatty acids (FA) and micro- and macro-elements depends on plants, production process, agricultural technologies, geological sources, and industrial and environmental pollution [4]. In this work, FA profile and micro- and macro-elements content were evaluated in 12 different types of plant-based drinks (walnut, almond, soy, rice, oat, rice and coconut, buckwheat, rice and walnut, sorghum, spelt, millet and coconut) available on the Italian market in order to characterize the beverages from a health and toxicological point of view. FA analysis was carried out by gas-chromatography coupled to flame ionization detector (GC-FID). Na, Mg, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cr, Al, B, Se, Mo, As, Ba, Li, Ag, V, Sb, Cd and Pb analysis was performed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and Hg content was determinated through direct mercury analyzer (DMA-80). Following the quantification of the mineral elements, The Estimated Daily Intakes (EDIs) of minerals related to the consumption of one cup (200 mL) of these beverages were compared with the available values of Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), Reference Intake for Population (PRI) or Adequate Intake (AI) for essential elements and Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI), Tolerable Weekly Intake (TWI), Benchmark Dose Lower Confidence Limit (BMDL01), Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI), Reference Dose (RfD) or Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for potentially toxic elements. The results, expressed as a percentage of these values, showed that the beverages are safe for adult consumers in terms of toxic and potentially toxic elements. Only the soy drink exceeded the RDA for molybdenum of 68%. FA profile of plant-based drinks was compared with FA profile of whole cow’s milk in order to show differences and similarities. Plant-based drinks show less saturated FA, except for lauric acid (C12:0) which value depends on coconut drink and rice & coconut drink. The amount of saturated FA in whole bovine milk is more than 60%, while in plant-based drinks in less than 30% of total FA. The amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated FA in plant-based drinks is higher than whole bovine milk. In plant based-drinks, oleic acid (C18:1) and linoleic acid (C18:2 n-6) are the mainly source of FA with average value of 35.47% and 33.16%, respectively. In whole bovine milk, palmitic acid (C16:0) and oleic acid are the mainly source of FA with average value of 30.48% and 18.93%, respectively. In conclusion, the exposure to mineral elements through the daily consumption of one cup of plant-based drinks is not worrisome. In addition, plant-based drinks are a good source of unsaturated fatty acids, and their consumption would contribute to achieving the required intake.