Plant-Based Fermented Beverages: Nutritional Composition, Sensory Properties, and Health Benefits

Abstract

Plant-based beverages have gained consumers’ attention for being the main substitutes for dairy milk, especially for people with lactose intolerance, milk allergies, and a prevalence of hypercholesterolemia. Moreover, there is a growing demand for a more sustainable diet and plant-based lifestyle due to concerns related to animal wellbeing, environmental impacts linked to dairy production, and the rising cost of animal-derived foods. However, there are some factors that restrict plant-based beverage consumption, including their nutritional quality and poor sensory profile. In this context, fermentation processes can contribute to the improvement of their sensory properties, nutritional composition, and functional/bioactive profile. In particular, the fermentation process can enhance flavor compounds (e.g., acetoin and acetic acid) while decreasing off-flavor components (e.g., hexanal and hexanol) in the substrate. Furthermore, it enhances the digestibility and bioavailability of nutrients, leading to increased levels of vitamins (e.g., ascorbic acid and B complex), amino acids (e.g., methionine and tryptophan), and proteins, while simultaneously decreasing the presence of anti-nutritional factors (e.g., phytic acid and saponins). In contrast, plant-based fermented beverages have been demonstrated to possess diverse bioactive compounds (e.g., polyphenols and peptides) with different biological properties (e.g., antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antihypertensive). Therefore, this article provides an overview of plant-based fermented beverages including their production, technological aspects, and health benefits.

Fluid and electrolyte balance following consumption of skimmed milk and a plant-based soya beverage at rest in euhydrated males

“…For these reasons, as well as those related to personal and planetary health (Craig et al 2023), plant-based dairy-milk alternatives have become common, including derivatives of soya, rice, oat, and various nuts. Soya-based beverages are the among the most popular and well-researched plant-based milk-alternatives (Hidalgo-Fuentes et al 2024), having been used as a milk-alternative for at least 2000 years (Sethi et al 2016). Additionally, and uniquely among plant-based milkalternatives, soya beverages have comparable protein content to cow's milk (James et al 2019).…”

The role of fermentation with lactic acid bacteria in quality and health effects of plant‐based dairy analogues

“…Plant raw materials, processing methods, market structure, and sensory properties of fermented plant-based dairy analogues were reviewed by Pua et al (2022) and Boukid et al (2023). The health-promoting potential of fermented plant-based alternatives is presented by Horlacher et al (2023) and Hidalgo-Fuentes et al (2024). In this study, raw materials, production methods, quality, and nutritional and health-improving properties of fermented plant-based dairy analogues were reviewed with an emphasis on fermentation, and the interrelationships between formulation, processing, and fermentation with structure, flavor, and health effects were discussed.…”