Oh milk.  I will preface this blog by noting I’ve never been a cow’s milk fan – I just don’t like the taste.  Growing up, I would dump out the milk from my cereal bowl and just eat the frosted flakes.  When visiting friends while pregnant, I was given a huge glass of cold cow’s milk.  Where did this association between cow’s milk and health come from?  Is it even valid?  Has the production of milk changed so much that we should be rethinking our consumption of it?  This blog seeks to provide some links to research on various types of milk (dairy and alternatives), and it comes from someone who has sought out cow’s milk alternatives for decades.

COW / DAIRY

Growing up, I would always watch the milkman deliver milk to our house – in glass bottles on the front step (I’m showing my age).  This was before the use of growth hormone, added DHA, organic, etc.  I remember loving watching the milkman drop off the bottles and hearing the clanging of them against the metal basket.

We now go to the grocery store and are faced with dozens of choices just for cow’s milk.  Gone are the days of the milkman, and we now have (predominantly) a milk supply chain that is like the Ford assembly line on steroids (literally).  The vast majority of cow’s milk (unless it’s marked that it doesn’t have this additive) contains genetically modified growth hormone (known as rBST or rBGH).  This hormone was approved by the FDA in 1993 and produced by Monsanto.  It’s injected into cows to make them produce more milk.  The FDA puts language on non-rBST dairy products, stating that there is no significant difference between them and rBST products.  Really?  From personal experience on my own fertility journey, I was injecting myself with various hormones (including growth hormone), and it definitely had physical and emotional effects on me.

Aside from my personal beliefs and experiences, there are countless scientific studies which show links between the growth hormone in milk and early puberty, various cancers and other troubling things (please read the Global Healing Center‘s summarized version of the effects of growth hormone – at the bottom it cites numerous other credible sources of information).

I can’t fail to mention that rBST has been banned by the European Union, Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand and Israel since 2000.  When it came time to give my child milk (around 1 year old), I decided to only give her cow’s milk that was organic, non-rBST and had added DHA.  The good news is that non-rBST milk is readily available at most grocery stores – the containers will have language noting it does not contain growth hormones.

Aside from the rBST additive, there was a very impactful study done by Uppsala University in Sweden a few years ago on the negative impact of cow’s milk in general to our health, including children’s (it was published in the British Medical Journal, for which you need a subscription.  But, here’s a link to a Washington Post article which summarizes the findings).  Interestingly, the study cites that any sort of fermented dairy, like yogurt or cheese, does NOT have the negative effects associated with milk as they do not contain the problematic milk sugar, D-galactose (hope this isn’t getting too geeky for you!).   People seem horrified that skipping cow’s milk will result in calcium deficiency – for goodness sake, you can get the calcium other ways.

What do we do?  Neither I or my toddler (3 years old) drink cow’s milk – I personally don’t like it, and my child doesn’t ask for it.  I’m not convinced it’s the healthiest way to get calcium and protein.  We both have a variety of other calcium sources including organic yogurt, some organic cheese, organic lean protein, white beans and other things.

So, if it’s not obvious, cow’s milk isn’t a fan favorite of mine. And, if you believe we are animals, we are the only animal that drinks another animal’s milk – a little weird if you ask me.  But, if you are still bound and determined to drink cow’s milk, get organic, non-rBST and try to get grass fed versions (I’ve seen one at Whole Foods).  And, don’t forget to also look for growth hormone in other dairy products such as yogurt, cheese, cream and ice cream.

SOY

Soy seemed to be all the rage years ago.  I remember everyone and their brother ordering soy lattes at Starbucks.  I also remember my endocrinologist (I’m hypothyroid) to NEVER have soy as it could disrupt the proper functioning of my thyroid.  Also, my fertility doctor told me to avoid soy because there are studies linking increased soy ingestion to fertility issues.  Yes, “western” doctors telling me to avoid soy like the plague!  That’s enough for me, but I’ll also provide you to documented studies on it so you can decide for yourself.  Select studies are provided by Harvard School of Public Health, Mayo Clinic and Scientific American.

Then come a few arguments like (1) I like the protein in soy because I’m vegetarian; or (2) certain cultures have eaten soy for generations and are healthy.  Just understand that the soy we have today is generally mass produced and is genetically modified (according to USDA survey data, 94% of the 2016 soybean crop was genetically modified).  Also, soy acts as a phytoestrogen (mimics estrogen) in our bodies which can have negative implications (see studies cited above).  So, I say think twice before having soy milk, edamame and certain veggie burgers (look at the label – many contain soy).  Soy is off my list as an alternative – time to move onto another cow’s milk alternative…

ALMOND

Now we’re talking.  Here’s why I like / love almond milk – of the alternatives, I find it to be the tastiest on its own as well as in things like smoothies and coffee.  And, nutritionally, it appears to be the best option.  We usually buy cases of the organic, vanilla unsweetened almond milk at Costco.  You can get almond milk almost anywhere these days, including organic, at stores including Safeway and Costco.  Again, I encourage you to buy organic, and read the label!  Many almond milk varieties have a lot of strange ingredients in them as well as a lot of added sugar.  As I’ve always said, if you can’t pronounce it, don’t eat it.  And I’m going to call BS on anyone who says almond milk isn’t as nutritious as cow’s milk.  It does not have as much protein as cow’s milk (but there are much healthier sources for protein anyways), and sometimes doesn’t have as much calcium (but, you can buy versions fortified with calcium so they have as much or more than cow’s milk).  Here’s  a comparison of 1 cup of my Costco’s Kirkland Signatures Organic Unsweetened Almond Non-Dairy Beverage Vanilla (note:  this one is not fortified with calcium) vs. Horizon Organic DHA Omega-3 2%Reduced Fat Milk:

*not fortified with calcium.

If you’re super into it, you can make your own almond milk (you can find recipes online.  I tried this a few times before I had a child and it was delicious…but, now I just buy it prepared).  So, I say, drink up your almond milk.  In my view, this is the best cow’s milk alternative out there.

OTHERS

I won’t review every other type out there because there are so many these days – oat, rice, hemp (all too watery and grainy for my taste), hazelnut, macadamia, etc.  I’ve tried each of these, and I still prefer almond.  But if your goal is to avoid cow’s milk, know there are many alternatives out there which will fit the bill. But, again, check the ingredients and the nutritional aspects – some have virtually no nutritional value.

So, almond it is for me.  If you’re not a fan, maybe you can go halfsies and put half organic cow’s milk with half organic almond milk and work your way up.  Again, I’m no doctor, so this is my personal view which is based on pretty substantial research and decades of taste testing.

Love and peace,

The Almost Green Mom