Vitamin and Mineral Absorption From Milk and PBMAs

Concentration of vitamin D in plasma/serum,Concentration of calcium, potassium, and magnesium in human serum and urine

Plant-based milk alternatives (PBMAs) are a popular alternative to cow's milk. The different
 types of PBMAs on the market shelf include almond, oat, soy, coconut, cashew, pea, hemp, and
 rice. Among these, PBMA made from almonds, oats and soy are the most popular in North
 America. Though PBMAs are designed to mimic cow's milk in terms of color, they often have a
 very different nutrition profile. In order to better substitute for cow's milk, PBMAs often
 have added vitamins and minerals, as well as added sugars and flavorings to improve flavor.
 
 This study will test how well certain nutrients (vitamin D, calcium, potassium, and
 magnesium) are absorbed by the body after intake of milk and PBMAs. Nutrient absorption will
 be measured using blood samples after short term intake (from 1 hours to 1 week) of almond,
 soy, and oat milk, and compare it to cow's milk. Participants in the study will avoid all
 fluid dairy products and vitamin-D supplemented foods for three weeks and then be asked to
 consume either almond, soy, oat, or cow's milk for one week.
 
 All participants will visit the Clinical Nutrition Research Center (CNRC) four times over the
 course of about one month. These visits include a screening and pre-study visit (1.5 hrs), a
 pick-up visit (30 min), one long study day visit (~11 hours), and two shorter follow up study
 day visits (1 hr).