How To Beam: Milk Edition

Now that the entire world (all of Brooklyn) seems to be anti-milk, it feels like a new alternative milk emerges every week. It’s getting hard to keep track of which milks are “good” and which milks are “bad.” Does anyone else miss the good old days when we fought over 2% vs. fat-free milk? My sister once asked me if hormone free milk meant that the cow didn’t have any attitude. I miss that. Do we really need 100 milks? Maybe. Let’s dive in. 

From the Got Milk campaign of the ’90s to the alternative milk sentiments in the last couple of years, the milk industry and now the alternative milk industry have always chosen to market their products on the grounds of health and wellness. Dairy milk's rise and fall in the health and wellness space is a great example of the dangers of wellness marketing based on faulty science. For years, milk advertised their product to consumers as a means to grow taller and get stronger. Yes, milk has calcium and protein, two key ingredients that promote overall health, but there is no scientific evidence that drinking milk, in particular, has any key benefits. It’s pretty obvious that there are a bunch of different ways we can get those nutrients. It’s not that the milk industry lied to us; they just didn’t tell us the entire truth. It is fascinating to read the advertisements for all different milks and see how they use health as a main selling point for their products.It is also important to note that a lot of scientific studies about milk are funded or partially funded by dairy groups.

I am going to be upfront with you. I cannot cover every milk. It’s impossible. Well, not impossible, but not happening. There is camel milk, goat milk, chocolate milk, breast milk. I’m not a milk expert and don’t want to become one. I will cover the most popular milks, which fall into two categories: dairy (from an animal) and plant-based (from a plant, grain, oat, fruit, ect.) I won’t be discussing taste, only anecdotally, but the rather key considerations and scientific trade-offs that come with each milk. If you are reading this to find out which milk tastes better, it’s soy milk and you can stop reading now. If you are a milk enthusiast and need to learn more, I will list some resources in the article. If you are a milk expert or have very strong opinions on milk and want to educate me, please contact me. I would LOVE to discuss (but not for too long because, like I said, I do not want to become a milk expert). 

Dairy Milk 

Let's start with dairy milk. Humans started domesticating animals for their milk around 7,500 years ago. The exact timing is debated, but it is generally agreed upon that the practice started out in Southwest Asia and then spread to Scandinavia and Britain. Europe was the trend setter of drinking milk, and dairy milk consumption spread in Asia, Africa, the Americas and Australia about 500 years ago through European colonialism and industrialization. Dairy milk really only took off in the last 100 years as a result of a few key inventions. I won’t name them for you because this is not a history paper, but if you are interested, you can read here. In 1922, Congress passed the Capper-Volstead Act, allowing producers of agricultural products, such as milk, to “act together in associations” to organize collective processing, preparation for market, handling, and marketing of these goods. Think Dairy Farmers of America. The result was a milk marketing cooperative. Dairy has a marketing monopoly to get us to consume their product. If you want to read more about the Dairy Farmers of America, there is a fascinating article on the industry attached. It is important to note that dairy milk is the only non-vegan option I talk about. While I do not go into the treatment of animals in dairy farms, that is a key consideration for some consumers.

Nutrition:

It depends. Dairy milk is such a new concept to our adult bodies that a genetic mutation only recently evolved for adults to digest it. Babies are born with the enzyme to digest milk, but then it goes away as they get older. 40% of the adult population has the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose, a type of sugar found in milk and other dairy products. That means 60% of the population is lactose intolerant. If your stomach hurts after eating ice cream or you break out after a big bowl of cereal, you might be lactose intolerant. Do not worry! You are actually in the majority of the population and there are ways around this. Click here for some lactose free milk. If you have absolutely no problems when consuming any type of dairy, I am happy for you. 

Milk is high in calcium and protein and a bunch of other essential nutrients. A major health deterrent for some consumers is the fat content. In the ’70s the health trend, based on incomplete science, was geared towards a low fat diet, especially one with less saturated fat. Many people considered the high fat content in whole milk unhealthy. Milk fat contains mostly saturated fats, which are a highly debated topic in the nutritional world. There is some evidence that saturated fats can raise cholesterol and put one at risk for heart disease, but nothing is confirmed. Still, human beings need saturated and unsaturated fat to live. If you are putting a dash of milk in your coffee, I wouldn’t be too worried about the fat contents of your milk. If you are that worried, you might have a different problem. If you are drinking a lot of milk and want one lower in fat, there are options. The difference between the percentages in milk is how much fat there is. Whole milk has the most grams of fat per ounce, followed by 2%, 1% (skim) and fat free. If you want to know more specifics, click here.

Sustainability:

Not great. When talking about milk and sustainability, we are talking about three things: emissions, land use and water consumption. I am not here to tell you the exact statistics, but dairy milk is by far the worst option for the environment by all three of these measures. 

Cost/Accessibility:

Cheap and accessible. Dairy milk tends to cost less than most alternative milks. It is high in calcium and protein and is readily available in most gas stations, supermarkets, restaurants, etc. If you are looking for affordable and convenient and need quick nutrients, dairy milk comes out on top. 

---

Plant-Based Milk

Now that we got the basic milk out of the way, let’s talk about the alt group. AKA the Urban Outfitters of the milk world. The three popular alternatives right now are:

1) The OG alternative: soy milk (legume based)

2) The trending alternative: almond milk (nut based)

3) The newcomer: oat milk (grain based) 

Nutrition:

Not all plant-based milk is created equal. Brands like Almond Breeze and Silk Almond and even Oatly have extra ingredients like gellan gum and calcium carbonate and sugar that are potentially harmful to you. There is little research that the added ingredients will impact your health too much, but it is important to know that these brands can be more processed than dairy milk. Since the nutritional composition really depends on the variety, I will give you the overall nutritional benefits of each milk. 

• Soy: Soy milk has the highest amount of protein per serving when compared to other plant-based milks. It tends to have fewer calories than whole milk and is a good alternative if you are lactose intolerant. Obviously people with a soy allergy cannot have soy milk. I am embarrassed I even had to write that. Another nutritional con is that most of the soybeans produced in the US are genetically modified, which is an entirely separate How To Beam discussion. Lastly, some argue that soy produces estrogen-like chemicals that could have side effects. Harvard thinks that is true for some soy products, but soy milk is okay.

• Almond: Almond milk is low in calories and protein. Some manufacturers add calcium to almond milk to more closely mirror dairy milk’s nutritional value. Some almond milk has added sugar to extend its shelf life. Almond milk has less saturated fat and more unsaturated fat than dairy milk and is a good alternative if you are lactose intolerant. Read about the brand first, because there are a lot of almond milks with added ingredients.

• Oat: Oat milk has the highest amount of calories of all plant-based milk varieties. Although the sugar in it is natural, oat milk is very high in carbs. While oat milk is safe for people with lactose intolerance, those with gluten or celiacs disease should avoid it. 

Sustainability:

• Soy: Soy milk's environmental impact is comparable to oat milk. While it produces slightly more CO2 emissions than oat milk farming soy uses less water and land than farming oats for oat milk. The caveat is that soy farming is a major cause of deforestation in South America. So while it might look good on a graph, it is a bit more complicated than just how much land is used. 

• Almond: While almond milk does produce the least CO2 emissions and requires the least land of any milk listed here, almond milk is not great for the environment. It requires more water than any other common non-dairy milk, and almost all almonds are produced in one region, the often drought-stricken California. Almond farming is also threatening America's bees, which are vital to the survival of the planet. The amount of water needed to farm almonds is enough to lead to second thoughts on using almond milk. 

• Oat: Sustainability winner! Oat Milk produces the least amount of CO2 emissions behind almond milk and least amount of water behind soy milk. While it requires more land use than almond and soy milk, on a large scale the amount is negligible. 

Cost/Accessibility:

• Soy: Most accessible and affordable option if you are looking for a dairy alternative. Soy milk is still more expensive on average than dairy milk. Its high protein content makes it a good option to get cheap nutrients. 

• Almond: Right now, almond milk is more popular and cheaper than oat milk. Almond milk is still more expensive than dairy milk and not as widely available. 

• Oat: Expect to see more oat milk in restaurants, supermarkets, etc. Still this is an expensive alternative that might not be worth it or available to many.

I know you never want to see the word milk again. Same. But seriously, there is a lot to consider. I think the biggest takeaway is that there is no clear winner. The best milk for you will depend on what you need, like, want, can afford, and have access to. If you want a more sustainable option, try oat milk, unless you have a gluten or wheat allergy; then go for another plant-based alternative. If you don't want to splurge on a plant-based alternative, a dairy milk is not nutritionally harmful for you, unless you are lactose intolerant. Even if you are lactose intolerant, I am not your doctor, and if you love a good glass of milk, who am I to judge? If you want the healthiest option, that depends how you define healthy and what you need for your body. Do not automatically go for the alternatives. They are not always healthier and can actually be more harmful than dairy milk. 

Personally, I like to put milk in my coffee and smoothies. Since it’s not a main staple in my diet, I am not as picky with what I choose. I am trying to be a more sustainable consumer right now and I have psoriasis which flares up when I eat gluten and wheat. I also can afford to purchase a more expensive milk. This makes almond and soy milk my milk of choice. I also like half and half in my coffee for the taste. I think the trick here is knowing there are a lot of money and hidden agendas behind the marketing of milk and even behind the science and studies being funded so it is important to think critically about which milk makes you beam and try not to judge other people's milk preferences based on what they prioritize in their lives