Plant-Based Milk Alternatives and Human Health

Dr. Hassan Vatanparast is a Professor of Nutritional Epidemiology with a joint appointment in the College of Pharmacy and Nutrition and the School of Public Health at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada. He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses such as Advances in Public Health Nutrition, Health Promotion, and Food, Culture, and Nutrition. Dr. Vatanparast also chairs the Public Health Nutrition Research Network, a group involved in building research capacity for public health nutritionists and addressing current nutrition and health issues in Saskatchewan. In his research, Dr. Vatanparast investigates the impact of nutrition and other lifestyle factors on chronic conditions such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and osteoporosis. He engages in a range of projects in the basic, clinical, and applied sciences, using new and innovative approaches to assess health and nutritional status and public health issues.

1. Plant-based milk alternatives – General overview, types, characteristics, and history
2. The development and commercialization of plant-based milk alternatives
3. Nutritive value and bioavailability of plant-based milk alternatives
4. Processed foods and ultra-processed foods – where do plant-based milk alternatives fit in?
5. Current trends and determinants of plant-based milk alternatives consumption
6. The stance of national dietary guidelines and regulatory aspects of the consumption of plant-based milk alternatives
7. Public health concerns of plant-based milk alternatives and conventional dairy milk
8. Plant-based milk alternatives or dairy milk for optimal human health and economy, a comparison
9. Projections for the future of plant-based milk alternatives – availability, accessibility, sustainability