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Browsing the ever-growing selection of milk and dairy alternatives can leave your head spinning.
Traditional cow’s milk, a staple for thousands of years, has fallen out of fashion, overtaken by modern oat and nut milks, which have legions of wellness-conscious and lactose-intolerant followers.
There are dozens of types of animal and plant-based milks to choose from, but they are not all created equal and each affects the body (and the planet) differently.
Some, like almond milk, have high levels of bone-strengthening calcium but use an excessive amount of water to produce it, while others, like oat milk, cause a spike in blood sugar but have a very low environmental impact.
Finally, dietitian Maya Feller said Goop the best way to choose which milk to buy depends on the individual consumer, who knows their health best.
Below, DailyMail.com breaks down the ins and outs of the most popular milks on the market.
There are dozens of types of animal and plant-based milks to choose from, but they are not all created equal and each affects the body differently.
Cow milk
Milk classic. As far as milk types go, it’s the most nutrient-dense, offering a healthy dose of protein (about eight grams per eight-ounce glass), about 30 percent of your daily calcium needs, plus phosphorus. and vitamin B2. They help strengthen bones and provide energy.
Milk has long been associated with strong, healthy bones. It was the basis of the mega-popular Got Milk campaign in the ’90s and early ’00s, featuring the Friends cast, The Simpsons characters, and the Williams sisters sporting prominent milk mustaches.
The Got Milk campaign has become an indelible piece of American pop culture, solidifying milk as a fundamental part of a healthy diet and making it a kitchen staple.
It comes in several forms: whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free, also called skim.
Polish researchers linked it to a lower risk of bone density loss in old age. They reported that regular consumption of dairy products during the preschool and school years was related to a greater likelihood of having better bone mineral density in adulthood.
And the high protein content, in addition to helping you feel fuller, is a great benefit for bone health. A 2013 study in the journal Public health nutrition found that women who consumed a high-protein diet were more likely to have healthy bone mineral density than those who did not.
Cow’s milk also contains potassium and magnesium, which help protect against stroke.
But not all are good news. Like many foods, traditional cow’s milk has advantages and disadvantages.
High dairy consumption has been linked to a higher likelihood of dying from heart disease and cancer – That is why it is better to consume this type of milk in moderation.
Doctors at Harvard University found that drinking a lot of skim or low-fat milk was associated with a slightly increased risk of death from all causes and poor cardiovascular health, as well as lung cancer, ovarian cancer and prostate cancer.
Despite its benefits, cow’s milk is not for everyone.
Between 30 and 50 million Americans have some degree of intolerance to lactose, the type of sugar found in milk.
People with lactose intolerance do not produce enough of the enzyme lactase, which is needed to digest milk sugars. Fortunately, however, the alternative milk market has exploded in the last decade.
soy milk
Of the crowded field of plant-based milks to choose from, soy milk stands out as the option with the highest nutrient density per eight-ounce serving.
Soy is a protein powerhouse containing six grams and at least 20 percent of your daily value of calcium and B12. It is considered a complete protein, which means that it contains all the essential amino acids that humans need.
However, soy milk has been embroiled in controversy recently due to some of its ingredients.
Almost 100 percent of all soybean acreage planted on US land is genetically modified to resist herbicides and pesticides. This represents an increase from 17 percent in 1997.
Some are concerned about the impact this has on their health, although there has been no conclusive evidence indicating harm or a decrease in nutritional value.
Soy is generally heart healthy and good for blood vessels. A 2020 study in the journal. Circulation showed that American men and women who ate the highest amounts of tofu and isoflavones from soy foods had an 18 and 13 percent lower risk, respectively, of developing heart disease compared to those who ate the least.
The study did not specifically look at soy milk, although the results are noteworthy given that soy milk contains those same isoflavones.
Another sticking point for soy is its association with an increased risk of breast cancer. Soy isoflavones are a type of plant estrogen known as phytoestrogen, which works similarly to human estrogen, but with weaker effects.
Dr. Tara Scott, obstetrician, gynecologist and hormone specialist, saying: “(With) soy milk, you have to worry about the quality of the soy and the fact that it can be a phytoestrogen.”
Because estrogen is known to play a role in the genesis of breast cancer, there has been a long debate and research into the question of whether consuming phytoestrogens exacerbates that risk.
But phytoestrogens don’t always mimic estrogen. They sometimes block the action of the hormone, which means that drinking soy milk could, in theory, reduce the risk of breast cancer.
In 2021, researchers in China found that eating soy could prevent death from breast cancer. They studied the soy isoflavone intake of 1,460 early-stage breast cancer survivors before and after their diagnosis over a four-year period.
Drinking or eating large amounts of soy was associated with a 66 percent lower risk of death from any cause and a 64 percent lower risk of death from breast cancer.
Higher soy intake after breast cancer diagnosis was associated with a 64 percent and 51 percent lower risk of death from any cause and breast cancer, respectively.
oat milk
Oat milk is the milk of the moment, but it’s also the one most likely to cause a spike in blood sugar.
Biochemist Jessie Inchauspé said in a viral interview about the drink: “Oat milk comes from oats, oats are a grain and grains are starch.” So when you drink oat milk, you are drinking starch juice. “You’re drinking juice that has a lot of glucose in it, so you get a big glucose spike.”
In people without diabetes, the increase in blood glucose is probably not worrying enough to justify skipping the oat milk latte, but it could be worrying for people with this condition.
Oat milk is low in protein compared to dairy and soy milk, although it has more fiber and less fat.
Nutrition experts note that it’s worth paying close attention to the ingredient label, which should only list a few.
Companies are also likely to add gums and flavors, which reduce the already unstable nutritional base.
Many popular oat milks on the market. also contains glyphosatewhich is the active ingredient in RoundUp heavy-duty herbicide.
Some experts believe late spraying of pesticides on crops in the field is to blame.
Dr Dora Marinova, professor of sustainability at Curtin University’s Sustainability Policy Institute, told Goop: “Oat milk is really good in terms of its environmental footprint: very, very low.”
‘However, it is grown as a monoculture, which makes it vulnerable to all types of insects and pests. Therefore, we see increased use of pesticides, including glyphosate, which essentially have potentially toxic implications.’
almond milk
Almond milk is the best-selling plant-based milk in the US, but it has the weakest nutritional profile compared to the others.
Ninety-seven percent is water and an eight-ounce serving of almond milk has only one gram of protein.
It’s always a good idea to read the label on the back of the container, as some brands of almond milk have more sugar than cow’s milk. They are also often full of thickeners and flavorings which, like oat milk, can undermine the benefit of drinking it in the first place.
Unsweetened almond milk varieties are typically low in carbohydrates, and many brands fortify them with added vitamins, minerals, and proteins.
Almond milk is also naturally rich in vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant linked to reducing the risk of heart disease.
rice milk
Rice milk has fewer calories than cow’s milk and does not contain gluten, making it a safe bet for people with celiac disease.
It’s also cholesterol-free and only has one gram of fat per cup, which works well for people following diets specifically designed to keep their hearts healthy.
Its low fat and calorie content also makes it a good option for those looking to lose a few kilos.
A typical serving has fewer calories than a glass of cow’s milk, but still has more than a cup of soy milk.
However, a big drawback is the high glycemic index of the drink. One cup of rice milk contains 33 grams of carbohydrates, three to four times the amount of cow’s or soy milk.
The naturally high carbohydrate content means diabetics should stay away.
Coconut milk
Coconut milk, not to be confused with coconut water, comes from the flesh of mature brown coconuts.
It provides the body with more magnesium than traditional cow’s milk and contains about 40 percent of the recommended daily amount of iron in a single cup.
At the same time, coconut milk contains about half the protein of a glass of cow’s milk and more than four times more calories, but no cholesterol.
Coconut has a high glycemic index (GI), meaning it is likely to cause a spike in blood sugar after eating it and diabetics may need to find another alternative to plant-based milk.
But not everything is bad.
Although the GI is high, coconut milk has a low glycemic load, a measure that takes into account the glycemic index and the portion consumed. A low glycemic load means it has very little impact on blood sugar.