Most coffee shops you walk in now have an array of milk options to add to your morning coffee. Confusing. Considering the only milk even on offer not so long ago was your bog standard cow's milk. Now plant based alternatives are booming for those with dietary and allergy concerns the choice is endless, 'almond, cashew, coconut, hazelnut, oat, soy'? Most times I opt for the usual almond, because to be absolutely honest I am pretty confused with the vast selection available and what is actually the best, most healthiest option.
I decided to do some digging and filtering through the bullsh*t out there to work out if my usual tipple of almond flat white is the best milk to accompany my coffee or matcha. What I learnt is each type of milk has its pros and cons, depending on a person's diet, health and nutritional needs. With the craze for plant based alternatives, I wanted to switch my attention to why so many of us are abandoning cows milk. I, like many was brought up on a generation of drinking milk with my cereal, and although I have never been someone that LOVED milk (would never drink from a carton - the thought grosses me out!), I have always eaten dairy products originating from cows milk since my childhood and thought it didn't do me much harm.
Cow's Milk
First things first, cow's milk as we all knows comes in all sorts of varieties - whole, semi-skimmed, skimmed and lactose-free. One cup of whole milk contains 150 cals, 12g carbs, 8g fat and 8g protein, with no removal of the milk's natural components it is high in fat, calcium and natural proteins. Skimmed milk is stripped of saturated fat coming in at 80 calories but with this, the absorption of vitamins can be reduced due to the lack of fat. I am sure many of you with intolerances know the protein in cow's milk is a common allergen for babies, children and adults.
But why is this?
Well to put it simply cows milk is baby calf growth food. No child or human needs the milk of a cow and most people worldwide have an intolerance to lactose. Paediatrician, Dr. Paul Porras (M.D) comments on recent Netflix documentary - What The Health, 'Milk is a risky food for human consumption'. He goes on to explain how he treats children/teenagers on a daily basis suffering from conditions linked to dairy consumptions - eczema, constipation, acne, iron deficiency and anaemia to name a few. To put it simply, milk is a hormonal fluid, packed with sex hormones including oestrogen and progesterone. It does not make a difference if your drinking conventional or organic milk, it will not be free of these hormones. The same hormones that are causing these health conditions. As a side note, if you are suffering from bad skin, the first tip should be eliminating dairy from you diet full stop, I for one have noticed a big difference, because the hormones are very likely to be causing you havoc.
But what about the good old saying, 'drink milk for strong bones'? Well, researchers have looked into bone development in children and have found milk does not build strong bones. Furthermore, Harvard university researchers have found milk has zero protection against fractures in elderly women. To summarise, it's a total myth. Further research shows that countries with the highest dairy consumption, have the highest rates of osteoporosis. In the words of Dr. Michael Greger, 'People that drink milk have high rates of hip fractures, more cancer and live shorter lives'. Drinking cows milk does not make your bones healthier.
Picking up on the topic of cancer, I was shocked to learn in the What The Health documentary, that our risk of genetic cancer is only 5% - 10%, and that dairy products increase risk for various forms of cancer especially those related to your hormones - breast cancer, ovarian cancer and prostrate cancer. Dairy can increase a man's risk of prostate cancer by 35%. And you know what, it really is not all that surprising when you think of the hormones we are drinking from cows. A study from the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI) proves a direct link between dairy intake and breast cancer diagnosis and mortality. The study showed women that have had breast cancer, increase their risk of breast cancer by 49% by consuming a single serving of dairy. Shocking right? The good news? Breast cancer can be prevented by a healthy diet and lifestyle, I could not agree more with registered dietitian, Susan Levin, 'We are so focused on putting money into finding a cure, I for one would rather focus on my daughter's not getting to the point where we need a cure and stopping this illness full stop.' Susan, I could not agree more.
All of the research above is from What The Health (Netflix documentary) I would recommend anyone with an interest in their health, nutrition and what they are consuming to watch it.
Plant Based Milks
So you have decided to switch from cow's milk to a plant based milk but there are SO many? Which to chose?
Unfortunately there's no simple answer, it really depends on your own individual nutritional needs but here is a handy little chart to help you with working it all out. I have compared almond, coconut, oat, soy and rice milk. To note, cashew and hazlenut milks are very similar in nutritional content to almond milk.
Almond Milk
Pros: The main ingredients are almonds and water, both of which your body loves. Almonds contain healthy fats and important minerals including calcium, iron, magnesium, selenium and vitamins D & E. Selenium is good for our immune system, reproduction and in the metabolism of thyroid, it also prevents cell damage. Almond milk is a good source of flavonoids and contains no cholesterol and saturated fats. Almonds are naturally low in fat and a good source of many antioxidants.
Cons: Almonds contain little protein compared to other options. There are also few almonds in the packaged carton, so most of vitamins and minerals you see on label are added via fortification (not necessarily bad, it's just not as good from getting them from whole foods - hence why drinking in its most purest form is best). Some shop-bought varieties may add carrageenan, an addictive that can be hard to digest and can cause inflammatory responses in some people. To limit the cons, made at home is your best option or buy it unsweetened.
Coconut Milk
Pros: Coconut milk is a good option if you want to include more natural plant foods in your diet. It is expressed from coconut meat and packed with healthy fats and rich in important B vitamins and minerals including iron and calcium. It's the creamiest of the alt-milks so lots of people love it in their coffee.
Cons: It is very high in fat and especially saturated fat in comparison to other milk alternatives, but as it comes from coconuts, one of the only plants to product saturated fat, it's not all bad. Saturated fat from coconuts contains a high amount of lauric acid which increases high density lipoprotein, the 'good' cholesterol, but intake should be limited.
Soy Milk
Pros: A winner when it comes to protein at around 8g per glass. It is naturally low in fat and cholesterol-free compared to other plant-derived equivalents which means it will not increase your risk of heart disease.
Cons: Soy is a complicated ingredient and there is lots of mixed reviews on health benefits and/or risks. Fake estrogen that is found within soy milk can increase your chances of breast cancer if consumed in too large quantities, if you are already at risk this can increase it. Too much soy of any kind in the male diet can cause infertility problems, whilst not many studies have been done it is something that should be noted for men drinking more than half a glass of soy milk a day. If your drinking soy try to opt for varieties with no added vegetable oils and using 'whole soy beans' rather than soy protein isolate or isolated soy protein.
Oat Milk
Pros: A good all-rounder nutritionally containing more protein than almond milk and less carbohydrate than rice milk. Oat milk contains unique soluble fibre beta-glucan, clinically proven to reduce LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Most oat milks are also fortified with calcium which is a bonus. To reap the benefits look out for brands that use 'whole oats'. It is very low in fat, lactose free, cholesterol free and is often recommended as a tonic for the nervous system. Rather interestingly it also contains more calcium per serving than regular cow's milk.
Cons: Oat milk is higher in carbohydrate and sugar content than almond and cashew milk but considering it contains only water, oats and a little sea salt it is all natural. Some oat milk brands or varieties can contain gluten or high sugar levels so best to check the brand and label first.
Rice Milk
Pros: Rice milk is the most hypoallergenic of all milk products and a good alternative for people with lactose intolerance or casein allergies who cannot have dairy, and those with soy or nut allergies that cannot drink soy or almond milk. It contains a generous supply of balanced nutrition with no saturated fat or cholesterol. A good source of all B vitamins which are essential to your metabolism, circulation and nerve function as well as being rich in manganese and selenium.
Cons: Rice milk tends to be much higher in carbohydrate than other plant based milks averaging at 25-30g per 250ml serving, (which is equivalent to 2 slices of bread!). It is made by breaking down the starch in rice to sugars, and it tends to be very high GI, with values between 70 and 90 (as a reference, pure glucose has a value of 100). It is naturally low in calcium (unless fortified).
Conclusion
To conclude, hopefully reading this will help you work out what milk works for you. If your not drinking cow's milk - try and opt for unsweetened versions of plant based milks, this ensures pureness and by checking the ingredients list you can be certain what your drinking does not contain sweeteners or others additives such as carrageenan. Where you can, try and make your own nut milks with almonds, cashews or hazelnuts by blending one cup of soaked nuts of your choice to three cups of filtered water.
Our bodies are all unique and our digestive systems respond differently to certain foods and drinks. It is important to get all the information and make an informed decision that works best for YOU and your body.
Lisa x
