Systematic reviewindependent cross-checkabstract checked I-DRY-104 standard review

Children drinking plant milks instead of cow milk tended to be shorter and lower in vitamin D

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

Overview

Soczynska I et al.. J Nutr 2024 · PMID 39332772 · DOI 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.09.010

Six small studies; fortified soy milk may be an adequate alternative for bone.

Does the study support the specific claim? No · Methodological quality: low

Study explained simply

What did the researchers want to find out?: Check how plant milks affect children's growth.
How was the study done?: Systematic review.
How many people, animals or samples were studied?: 6 studies, 15,815 children.
What was actually found?: Lower height, BMI and vitamin D with plant milk; fortified soy may help bone.
How large was the observed effect?: No pooled number.
What do the results mean in everyday life?: If milk is removed, a fortified alternative is needed.
What are the study's limitations?: Observational, few studies.
What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?: Supports the safety note.
Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?: Applicable.
What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?: Cannot prove that plant milk causes shorter height.

Authors: Soczynska I et al.
Journal: J Nutr
Year: 2024
Identifier: PMID 39332772 DOI 10.1016/j.tjnut.2024.09.010
Verification: verified – PubMed efetch 2026-10-26
Retracted: no
Corrections: none
Extent checked: abstract only
Conflicts of interest and funding: Not stated in abstract; one co-author lists many industry relationships incl. a past grant from Dairy Farmers of Canada and grants from plant-food organisations.

How does plant-based milk consumption affect growth and nutrition in children aged 1-18 y?

Study design: Systematic review – Systematic review (MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL, CINAHL, Scopus etc., 2000-2024; PROSPERO CRD42022367269); no meta-analysis
Population: Children 1-18 y
Country: Multinational
Period: 2000-2024
Sample size: 6 studies (3 cross-sectional, 1 cohort, 2 trials); total n = 15,815
Inclusion and exclusion criteria: Studies evaluating growth/nutrition effects of plant-based milk in children

Results: Observational studies: plant-based milk associated with lower childhood BMI, height and serum vitamin D vs cow milk; no association of soy milk with BMI in adolescent girls; low-quality trials showed minimal growth effects; in one study, adolescent girls with low calcium intake who drank fortified soy milk had higher bone density than those who did not.
Absolute risks: not reported
Authors' conclusion: Children who consume plant-based milk may have lower BMI, height and micronutrient intake than those who consume cow milk; fortified soy milk may support bone health in adolescents who do not drink cow milk.

Associations only; no pooled estimate.

Shows that replacing cow milk in children is not neutral unless the substitute is fortified and nutritionally adequate.

Fortified soy milk may be an adequate alternative for bone health.

Applies to Egypt; fortified alternatives may be less available (not verified).

Low-certainty but safety-relevant: avoid unplanned removal of milk in children.

Multidimensional assessment
Multidimensional assessment
Authenticity of the source	verified
Methodological quality	low
Risk of bias	some concerns
Precision of results	low
Directness	indirect
Reproducibility	unknown
Consistency with the overall evidence	mixed
Regional transferability	moderate
Adequacy of the interpretation (by the archive)	not applicable

Long-term growth effects; RCTs.