Additive in oat and almond milk linked to colon cancer – and why dairy is popular again

Wellness influencers are ditching almond and oat milks and switching back to dairy amid health concerns.

The plant-based milks were once touted as a low calorie, low-fat alternative but studies have indicated they are nutritionally inferior to the stuff from cows.

Jessica Cording, a registered dietitian and author, told DailyMail.com: ‘Dairy-free products have a sort of health halo around them – many consumers assume that just because something is dairy-free, that means it’s healthy.’ 

But recently experts have raised concerns about their effect on blood sugar levels and some potentially harmful additives including emulsifiers, which have been linked to colon cancer.

Steph Robinson, an influencer based in Los Angeles , California, has more than 107,000 followers on TikTok, ranked oat milk at the bottom of her list of milk options, for claims that it causes spikes in blood sugar

Oat milk is a popular milk-substitute made by soaking oat in water and straining it. Some avoid drinking it because its low in protein compared to other options, may cause blood sugar spikes or contains additives like emulsifiers 

Almond milk sales in 2024 decreased by 8.5 percent from the previous year and oat milk sales decreased 1.25 percent over the same period, according to a report from SPINS, a company which tracks shopping data in America. 

The report found that all plant-based milk sales decreased by 5.2 percent over the past year, though that still generated a whopping $2.8billion in sales for the industry. 

Public opinion seems to mirror this downturn.  

Los Angeles based influencer Steph Robinson lit the internet afire last year when she put oat milk at the bottom of her list of milk options – claiming the product causes massive blood glucose spikes and energy crashes.  

One common complaint about plant-based milks is that they contain additives that make them highly processed, like emulsifiers. 

Emulsifiers are products added to food, lotions and shower products that keep a liquid product from separating over time. 

They’re used in everything from peanut butter to yogurt to mascara and glue.

Their names range from familiar – like gelatin or whey protein – to scientific, like xanthan gum and carboxymethylcellulose.

But they all function the same way, giving a product a smooth, creamy texture. 

Most non-dairy milk brands use some sort of emulsifier to keep their product together. 

Samantha Cochrane, a registered dietitian nutritionist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center: ‘These are highly processed forms of oats and almonds so it’s not surprising they may have ingredients added during the processing to stabilize and preserve the products.’ 

In the past few years, researchers have begun investigating whether emulsifiers in a number of different highly-processed products could be contributing to the increase in colon and rectal cancer in young people. Their results haven’t been conclusive. 

Dr Stuart Fischer, a an emergency medicine doctor in New York City, told DailyMail.com: ‘Colon cancer can result from too much exposure to certain unknown toxins, and many have been suggested over the years.’ 

A 2021 study from researchers at the Université de Paris that fed mice emulsifiers like polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulose found consuming the products regularly led to increased gut inflammation. 

Chronic inflammation can increase the risk for cancer by damaging DNA. This, they suggested, could put the body at greater risk for developing colorectal cancers.

Health guru Paltrow has unpasteurized milk in her coffee every day, she told outlets early in 2024. Drinking milk that hasn’t been pasteurized increases the risk of catching infectious diseases and bacteria and doesn’t have any known health benefits, authorities caution 

A different study in 2021 found introducing emulsifiers to a colony of bacteria that mimicked the kind found in the human gut caused some of the bacteria to die off or become unhealthy.

Research has suggested the bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract play an important role in fighting back against cancer – and that disrupting it could make colorectal cancers more likely. 

In 2024 University of Miami Gastroenterologist Dr Maria Abreu, who studies the affect of food additives and their link to colon cancer, likewise said that the affect of emulsifiers on the microbiome could be contributing to the number of young people getting cancer. 

Separate 2022 research from the French Nutrition and Cancer Research Network studied more than 102,000 adults and estimated their exposure to different food additives over a day by asking them about their diet habits. 

They then tracked them over ten years, and found that those who were estimated to consume higher amounts of certain emulsifiers were more likely to develop breast cancer.

Considering this research, Dr Abreu told DailyMail.com: ‘I think it’s good to convey to parents that they should have their children minimally exposed to these things.

‘I’m a believer that colon cancer is preventable. Some of it has to start by transmitting this message to parents because we believe this is set in motion at a very early time.

‘It takes a lifetime of making good choices.’

This research is something to pay attention to, Cording said, but it isn’t conclusive, and more research needs to be done before conclusions get drawn about emulsifiers. 

Cording told this website: ‘I think it’s appropriate to be concerned, but I also think we need to keep exploring.’ 

In addition, both Cording and Cochrane added, the amount of these highly-processed ingredients consume, and what other foods you add to your diet, are just as important, she said. 

Most nut milks still contain additives like emulsifiers to create a creamy, uniform texture, but may have more nutrients than oat milk, making it a preferred choice for a plant based diet. If someone can’t have nuts, then Cording recommends soy milk 

Cochrane said: ‘If anything, this reinforces that a diet with less highly processed foods may be beneficial to overall health. However, it isn’t enough evidence to vilify these foods or ingredients and avoid them completely.’ 

 The FDA has approved FDA approved and generally considered safe, especially if you’re only consuming them occasionally. 

Cording’s main concern with oat milk in particular isn’t the additives, but instead, the affect it can have on blood sugar. 

‘I focus a lot on blood sugar management in my work, which is essential for so many aspects of our physical and mental wellness,’ Cording said.  

Oat milk tends to have lower amounts of protein and higher amounts of carbohydrates, or sugars, than dairy milk or nut milk. An average cup of oat milk contains about 4 grams of protein, compared to 8 grams in dairy, soy or pea milk. 

When the body breaks down carbohydrates, it causes a blood sugar spike, which makes your body need to release insulin. Eating foods with other nutrients that can balance the sugars, helping them be taken up more slowly, may make insulin spikes less steep. 

Over time, having consistent blood sugar spikes can make it hard to manage one’s weight and may make them more likely to develop lifestyle diseases, like diabetes, down the line. 

For that reason, Cording said: ‘in my own practice, I do tend to steer my clients away from oat milk if they can tolerate dairy and/or other plant milks.’