Best Milk Alternative for Alpha-Gal Syndrome (2024)

The information provided on this site is based on my personal experience living with alpha-gal syndrome. I consistently cite and link to expert sources, but nothing published on this site should be perceived as medical advice.

Alpha-gal sensitivities vary by person. You should understand your dietary restrictions, making any adjustments needed, and directing any questions to your physician.

Even if you don’t break out in hives or double over with abdominal pain when consuming cow’s milk, if your alpha-gal blood work shows a heightened sensitivity to traditional dairy products, you may still experience a mild allergic reaction when you pour cream into your coffee, enjoy a double scoop of ice cream, or drink a tall cold glass of milk with a stack of Oreo cookies. Hey, at least the Oreos are vegan and safe for alpha gals!

When you cut dairy from your diet, you remove a good source of nutrients, especially calcium, and vitamins D, B2, and B12. You also lose other health benefits of drinking milk, potentially increasing your chances of bone diseases like osteoporosis. If that’s not concerning enough, with each cup of milk replaced by coconut milk, cashew milk, or rice milk, you cut about eight grams of protein from your diet.

And if you’re replacing traditional dairy products with non-dairy alternatives at the same time that you need to remove all mammalian meats from your diet, you may find yourself scrambling to find enough sources of protein to achieve your recommended dietary allowance (RDA).

If you want to replace mammalian milk, including cow’s-, sheep’s-, and goat’s milk, with a plant-based alternative, here is my ranking for the best milk alternative for alpha-gal syndrome.

When I was diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome, my doctor advised me not to eat beef, pork, or lamb and to stop consuming dairy products. Then she sent me on my way. There was no handout of good plant-based protein sources, no reminder of how much calcium a midlife woman should be consuming, and no heads-up about symptoms of a vitamin B12 deficiency.

But after a year of my reporting increasing concern to her over:

• Extreme fatigue and hair loss (symptoms of a protein deficiency),
• Pins and needles in my hands and feet (a symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency), and
• An initial bone density scan that revealed osteopenia (an early marker for osteoporosis)

she ordered blood tests that confirmed that there was a problem.

Based on this experience, my evaluation of milk alternatives focuses on good sources of the key nutrients found in cow’s milk.

Vitamin D helps our bodies absorb calcium, making it an important nutrient for bone health. Because milk is a good source of vitamin D, people who do not consume dairy products are at a higher risk for a vitamin D deficiency. Symptoms include fatigue, hair loss, and muscle weakness. A daily cup of cow’s milk delivers 30% of the recommended 15 mcg of vitamin D.

If you believe you might be deficient in any of these nutrients, contact your health care provider.

Like many manufactured products, the ingredients in and nutritional information for alternative milks can vary by product. My assessment automatically excluded any non-dairy milk that includes carrageenan (another alpha-gal trigger). So while one cup of Kirkland signature organic soy beverage from Costco includes seven grams of protein and a decent amount of vitamin D, calcium, and vitamin B12, I excluded it from my evaluation since it also contains carrageenan.

Related Article: What is Carrageenan (And Why Should Alpha Gals Avoid It)?

When I was first diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome, I ignorantly assumed that nut milks would be good sources of protein. After all, whole nuts like almonds and cashews contain six and five grams of protein per ounce, respectively. As it turns out, nut milks are mostly water and are not high in protein.

Sage Advice: Some environmentally conscious alpha gals also prefer to avoid almond products due to the amount of water used to cultivate almonds.

This milk alternative is made by grating the white flesh of a coconut and soaking it in hot water. The cream will rise to the top, and the remaining liquid is strained to create coconut milk. While one cup of coconut milk is lower in calories than a cup of skim milk, it has no protein and is lower in calcium than other milk alternatives.

Because of its rich and creamy flavors, coconut milk is a great plant-based milk for drinks likevegan hot chocolateand taro milk tea.

Also known as soymilk (one word) or soya milk, my number one alternative milk pick is made by soaking soybeans, grinding them with water, boiling the mixture, and then straining to remove the remaining solid pieces. And when it comes to the best alternative milk for alpha gals, soy milk is my top pick.

Not only does it have a mild flavor, but soy milk also boasts as much protein and calcium as cow’s milk. But then soy milk goes above and beyond traditional dairy, with more riboflavin and vitamin B12 than whole or skim milk. And while traditional milk is not a source of iron, this brand of soy milk includes 1.1 mg of iron. Because alpha gals can no longer consume red meats like beef, lamb, veal, and pork – all good sources of iron – one cup of soy milk helps women work toward their RDA of 18mg and assists men on their way to an RDA of 8 mg.

Sage Advice: No matter which alternative milk you choose, I recommend selecting an unsweetened flavor to reduce your consumption of added sugar.