A Systematic Review on the Impact of Plant-Based Milk Consumption on Growth and Nutrition in Children and Adolescents

Izabela Soczynska; Bruno R da Costa; Deborah L O'Connor; David Ja Jenkins; Catherine S Birken; Charles Dg Keown-Stoneman; Curtis D'Hollander; Sabine Calleja; Jonathon L Maguire

doi:10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.09.010

A Systematic Review on the Impact of Plant-Based Milk Consumption on Growth and Nutrition in Children and Adolescents

J Nutr. 2024 Nov;154(11):3446-3456. doi: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.09.010. Epub 2024 Sep 26.

Authors

Izabela Soczynska¹, Bruno R da Costa², Deborah L O'Connor³, David Ja Jenkins⁴, Catherine S Birken⁵, Charles Dg Keown-Stoneman⁶, Curtis D'Hollander¹, Sabine Calleja⁷, Jonathon L Maguire⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada; Joannah and Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
² Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Clinical Trial Service Unit and Epidemiological Studies Unit, Nuffield Department of Population Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
³ Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Joannah and Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Translational Medicine, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Canada.
⁴ Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada; Department of Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Clinical Nutrition and Risk Factor Modification Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada; Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada.
⁵ Joannah and Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario; Child Health and Evaluative Sciences, SickKids Research Institute, Toronto, Canada; Division of Paediatric Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada.
⁶ Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada; Applied Health Research Centre, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada; Department of Biostatistics, Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
⁷ Schulich Library of Physical Sciences, Life Sciences and Engineering, McGill University, Montreal, Canada.
⁸ Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Department of Pediatrics, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada; Joannah and Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Canada; Department of Paediatrics, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario. Electronic address: [email protected].

PMID: 39332772
DOI: 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.09.010

Abstract

Background: Children are increasingly consuming plant-based milks, yet the impact on their growth and nutrition is unclear.

Objective: This systematic review aimed to summarize the available evidence on the impact of plant-based milk consumption on growth and nutrition in children and adolescents.

Methods: MEDLINE, Embase (Excerpta Medica Database), EBM Reviews - Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Child Development and Adolescent Studies, and Scopus were comprehensively searched from 2000 to 2024 to identify studies evaluating the growth and nutritional effects of plant-based milk consumption in children aged 1-18 y. Two reviewers independently screened full-text articles, assessed their quality, and extracted data.

Results: A total of 6 studies were identified: 3 cross-sectional studies, 1 prospective cohort study, and 2 clinical trials (total n = 15,815). Observational studies found that consumption of plant-based milk was associated with lower childhood body mass index (BMI), height, and serum vitamin D concentrations compared with cow milk. No association was found between soy milk consumption and BMI in adolescent girls. Low-quality clinical trials showed minimal effects on growth, and 1 study found that adolescent girls with low calcium intake who consumed fortified soy milk had higher bone density compared with those who did not consume soy milk.

Conclusions: Available evidence suggests that children who consume plant-based milk may have lower BMI, height, and micronutrient intake compared with those who consume cow milk, whereas fortified soy milk may support bone health in adolescents who do not drink cow milk. Longitudinal studies and randomized controlled trials are needed to determine whether these associations persist over time, differ between children and adolescents or among those who consume soy milk, and to understand the potential underlying mechanisms. This trial was registered at PROSPERO as CRD42022367269.

Keywords: BMI; children; height; nutrition; plant-based milk.

Publication types

Systematic Review

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Animals
Body Mass Index
Child
Child Development
Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena
Child, Preschool
Diet
Female
Humans
Infant
Male
Milk*
Nutritional Status*