MILK COMPARISON FOR GENERAL HEALTH

MILK AND NON-DAIRY SUBSTITUTES

Which is better for weight loss & general health?

I recently did a Facebook post about sugar and breakfast cereal. (Check out our FB page to have a read and look at the statistics.)

This blog, is a bit of a follow up on that with focus on both sugars and fats contained within the mentioned products. Hopefully we can dispel some myths for you within this blog.

Our society has become so concerned about, and focused on, the fat quantity of milk and substituting other liquids for full-cream cows milk that it's time some of the real information was shared around.

I want to start by saying that I looked at a variety of products available at the supermarket shelf. The products that the average person would buy. I looked into the actual ingredients, as well as what's stated on the packaging. It became difficult to keep my opinions non-biased as I discovered some of the truths. I am hoping that as you read through this, you realise what's really important to your diet, and can see a little more clearly for your future health. All I will present you with is the facts. The decision is ultimately yours as to what you want to drink, but hopefully you will come to some of the same conclusions as myself for your own overall health.

My plan through this is simply to give you an outline. I will look at the milk substitutes as well as the full cows milk products. I have kept the information simple so that most people can understand it.

Now, there will be 'nay-sayers' who want to talk about the quantity of the additives that I will bring to your attention. Yes,the quantities are low in some cases, but that has to be considered, and related to the possible quantity consumed. This is also not intended to be negatively or positively biased towards any specific brands, rather, to simply inform.

First off, lets delve into the Milk 'substitutes'...

Everyone favourite, Soy Milk.

What is Soy Milk, really? Well, the traditional way of making Soy Milk is a little different to what we buy over the counter in a supermarket.

“Soy milk or Soymilk is a plant-based drink produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a stable emulsion of oil, water, and protein. Its original form is a natural by-product of the manufacture of Tofu.”

I looked at the brand Just Organic soy milk. I figured it would be just as I had written above. Nope.

It advertises on the package “no artificial colours or flavours or preservatives”.

Looking at the listed ingredients, I saw that it has 13% soy beans, which is a good quantity, however it also has Rice Syrup. It doesn't list sugar, though Don't be fooled! You need to know what Rice Syrup actually is.

Rice Syrup contains three sugars — maltotriose (52%), maltose (45%), and glucose (3%). Don't be fooled by the names. Maltose is just two glucose molecules, while maltotriose is three glucose molecules. Therefore, brown rice syrup acts like 100% glucose inside your body.

(Glucose is the base form of sugar, a 'simple' molecule, and a subcategory of carbohydrates.)

So, even if the Soy part of the milk is a quality natural product, it has been partially tainted by the added and disguised Sugars. That doesn't mean the Soy is bad for you. It means that the addition of sugar makes it more calorie dense and can give an energy spike, or blood sugar spike.

(Blood sugar spikes occur when your blood sugar rises and then falls sharply after you eat. In the short term, they can cause lethargy and hunger. Over time, your body may not be able to lower blood sugar effectively, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.)

Points to note with Soy Milk:

Soy is extremely high in phytoestrogens (see breakout 4), which are plant compounds that look like estrogen to the body. Does this mean that soy milk will disrupt your hormones? Perhaps, but studies are highly conflicting and likely biased by the soy industry so as yet it can't be proved. However it is an important point to note.

Soy contains high levels of phytic acid, a compound that reduces the absorption of minerals like calcium, magnesium and zinc.

When it comes to soy, we need to look at how traditional cultures enjoyed this food. They would ferment soy into soy sauce, tempeh or natto. The fermentation process drastically reduces the phytic acid levels. While fermented forms of soy are traditional foods, unfermented soy products are not.

Next up is Almond Milk.

How about we look at what Almond Milk is. Coming from a natural source we would 'think' it to be like Soy milk.

“Almond Milk is a plant milk manufactured from almonds with a creamy texture and nutty flavor, although some types or brands are flavoured in imitation of dairy milk.”

I looked at the Inner Goodness brand of Almond Milk in the hopes that the “98.5% fat free” packaging would contain a good product. It also states “no added sugars” on the pack.

As I went through the ingredients list, the lack of 'sugars' was great, but the rest of the ingredients concerned me.

First off is Tapioca Flour. This is developed from the Cassava Root, which while being gluten free, is very starchy.

What's wrong with starch? Starch (see breakout 5) is considered a complex carbohydrate that is made up from sugar molecules. These types of sugars are usually over refined and can cause blood sugar levels to spike.

Next is the Anti-caking Agent (similar to what's added to salt to keep it separated), Emulsifier (to keep all the products glued together so they don't separate like water and oil), and Stabilisers (a gum like substance to keep all the ingredients together). What these do together in conjunction with the Tapioca Flour is make the whole product very starchy and give the Almond Milk that true Milk like texture instead of just being a broth.

A final point to consider is the actual quantity of almonds within the products advertised as Almond Milk. The packaging leads us to believe that the product is made from a high quantity of almonds that make a healthy product into a milk-like drink. The packaging gives a different view. The actual quantity of Almonds within the product is a mere 2.5%. The rest water and the additives mentioned above.

In 2015 there was a civil lawsuit filed in the US against a company that produces almond milk for false advertising because of the low actual quantity of almonds within their almond milk products. It is important to consider what we are actually paying for.

Now for Rice Milk.

What is Rice Milk? Rice Milk is a grain milk made from rice. “It is mostly made from brown rice and commonly unsweetened. The sweetness in most rice milk varieties is generated by a natural enzymatic process that cleaves the carbohydrates into sugars, especially glucose, similar to the Japanese amazake. Compared to cows milk, rice milk contains more carbohydrates, but does not contain significant amounts of calcium or protein.”

I looked at the Inner Goodness brand again because it said “98% fat free with no preservatives” on the package.

The ingredients listed were probably the simplest for the non-dairy milk products, but the high salt content concerned me. Per 100ml of product was 62mg of salt. Not overly high, but we are talking about a product that is supposed to replace dairy and if consumed within high enough quantities, could become an issue over time.

The lack of added sugars was good, but it's important to keep in mind the natural enzymatic process within the rice that naturally creates glucose. Not high, but that would again depend on the quantity consumed.

The biggest concern was the lack of protein. Less than 1g per 100ml. To have similar protein levels as cows milk, you would have to supplement your diet with added proteins.

Looking at Rice Milk as a substitute for cows milk, this makes a good alternative in the lack of sugars and starches when comparing to other non-dairy drinks, but it's important to keep in mind that it has almost no proteins by comparison, so you would have to carefully consider supplementation.

Points to note: In research done on plant-based drinks in 2016, it was found that rice milk contains a high amount of inorganic arsenic (see breakout 6). High levels of arsenic in the body causes some serious side effects like heart disease and cancer

Another alternative is Coconut Milk.

What makes up Coconut Milk? “It is an opaque, milky-white liquid extracted from the grated pulp of mature coconuts. The opacity and rich taste of coconut milk is due to its high oil content, most of which is saturated fat.”

Looking again at the Inner Goodness brand again. The packaging says “no preservatives” and only “3% of your dietary energy intake per 250ml serve”.

So far this sounds great. Sugars are low. Salts are low. Then I looked further. The Coconut Milk is made from Coconut Cream, which mostly is just like a thicker version of the milk, then they water it down to make it drinkable as milk. A lot of coconut creams use a gumming agent (starchy) to thicken them. However in listing the coconut cream as an ingredient itself, it is not a requirement for the manufacturer to list what goes into making the coconut cream before using it to make the coconut milk. Still not a major issue though as the quantities would be very low by the time the milk was made.

What did concern me was the emulsifiers and the vegetable gums that are used to thicken the product to a milk like consistency. As we have noted on previous milk substitute products, these can be very starchy.

While the benefits of coconut to the diet are great and varied, from the oil being of good assistance to help burn fats in the body, it works in the body assisting with good cholesterol, as well as being antimicrobial in it's properties, the added starches in the Coconut Milk that is available to buy from our supermarkets need to be considered as our bodies are already exposed to way too many over processed sugars.

The decision is yours, but this drink, like Almond Milk, is a balancing act depending on the quantity consumed.

Before we get to actual cows milk there is still another alternative dairy replacement to look at.

Time to look at Like Milk.

I had a look at the Australia's Own brand of Like Milk. Mainly because this is uncommon as a dairy replacement.

What's in it?

This product states that is made from Pea Protein Isolate. But in very low quantities. The package states only 4%.

The people within the fitness and athletic community would know this as a dietary supplement for added protein intake. And would also know that normally this tastes like, and has the consistency of, mud.

So, it seems that to make this viable for the general public to drink, it's heavily watered down.

But, then it would simply taste like watery pea drink. To fix that problem they have added (in the order listed on the pack) sugar, cocoa powder, flavours, natvia, added vitamins and stabilisers (in the form of starches).

What does all this mean? With 3.3% protein per 100ml, you would be better off with Pea Protein Isolate from a supplement store because you would at least get 20-30g per serve then without all the added calories and sweeteners.

One other thing that concerns me regarding Like Milk is not only do they add sugar as a sweetener, but also Natvia (see breakout 3). This is a low calorie, non-sugar based sweetener. How much sweetening does a product need before it is considered palatable?

What about natural cows milk?

I'll get to that.

But, firstly consider this...

Every product we have looked at so far has been a dairy replacement product. These have been marketed at us for varying reasons. Some are because of the intolerance of lactose for some people. (Don't even get me started on lactose free milk. That's for another day) Some reasons are simply for a dairy intolerance. However, dairy replacement products are advertised and promoted to the general public mostly because of the hype that natural cows milk is too high in fats.

What the advertising companies fail to tell you is that the fats within natural dairy are good for us as they are a balanced source of Saturated Fats (70%), Polyunsaturated fats (2.3%), Monounsaturated fats (28%), which in contrast to Trans Fats in processed foods are considered beneficial to our health.

Yes, there are carbohydrates in dairy milk. These are in the form of simple sugar lactose. And, they are a natural enzymatic byproduct.

There is also protein for muscle building, Casein, to help our bodies to absorb minerals and lower blood pressure. Plus naturally occurring B12 vitamin, Calcium, Riboflavin and phosphorus, and Vitamin D. As well as 50 different hormones, which are similar to human milk, required within our bodies.

Natural mammalian milk was chosen for human consumption a long time ago for a reason. As stated above, it is the most similar to human milk.

One more thing to consider. All of the non-dairy replacement products are going to be re-labelled. They aren't really Milk. They are actually a milk-like product (or drink). Similar to the difference between full fruit juice and juice drinks.

Finally, to Cows Milk...

I looked at the Farmdale full cream UHT 1L milk. This is an Australian sourced and made product. (You could look at any brand of full cream UHT or fresh milk and the findings will be the same.)

Question: What's in it?

Answer: Milk.

The ingredients listed are simply “full cream milk 100%”. Nothing else.

What about the fats?

A whopping total of 3.3%.

There are 2 other milk alternatives derived from whole milk. They are Skim Milk and Lite Milk.

These are literally full cream milk that has been allowed to settle in the vat and the cream comes to the top. The cream is simply skimmed off the top. This can seem to be a little watery compared to full cream milk, and the reason for that is the lower fat content.

On the outset the Lite Milk seems to be a great thing, however, without the full fat content the body doesn't always absorb all of the vitamins and nutrients contained within the milk, so that makes the small fat content necessary.

Both Skim and Lite Milk are also made with Milk Powder to remove the watery appearance as mentioned previously. This thickens the liquid to give a better appearance to the consumer. The down side to this is that milk powder is made with oxidised cholesterol which is a carcinogen. Milk powders are also made with Lecithin to thicken and stop the ingredients separating.

A lot of manufacturers also add hidden sugars to give some flavour because of the lack of fat and taste.

What's the outcome here?

My opinion is simple. Drink milk unless you have a specific intolerance.

Then, if you are wanting a replacement, consider carefully what to use. But, consider the following...

If you are looking at weight loss, then you have to think about how much you are actually drinking in terms of milk. If you drink a cafe supplied coffee, then the milk is steamed down to 50% milk and 50% water anyway, so low fat milk is not longer a concern. Chose the full fat milk as it has more of the good fats and less sugars.

If you are using it on cereal already or in a smoothie, then you don't have an intolerance and your body will be using the good fats and you should be regularly exercising anyway to burn calories for a healthy body.

If you are looking for protein, then consider that milk is up to 88% water anyway, with up to 7.5g protein per 250ml serve, which is a good amount. If you are on a high protein diet, then you would probably be supplementing with extra protein in varied forms anyway.

Skim Milk and milk alternatives can also leave you feeling unsatisfied and still hungry. So you tend to consume more. This is because saturated fats like those found in whole milk trigger the release of the hormone cholecystokinin (see breakout 2), which makes you feel full. The natural fats slow the release of sugar into your bloodstream, reducing the amount that can be stored as fat.

If there's anything we should care about when it comes to milk, besides its fat content, it's making sure it comes from cows not treated with hormones like rbST. (It has been banned from general use in Australia, but it's good to be aware of what it is – see breakout 1.) And if you can get milk from cows with a diet rich in grass and hay, as opposed to corn, you're going to get even more benefits from it. (The feeding of corn or maize to Australian cattle is more common than you might think, and is actually endorsed by Dairy Australia.)

So, as counter-intuitive as it sounds, Skim or Lite Milk and a lot of the milk alternatives are only going to exacerbate an existing weight problem.

I am hoping that this has helped you make an informed choice for your dietary needs.

I personally will be sticking to full fat cows milk.

My recommendation for general population is to do the same, unless you have an intolerance to dairy. Then you can chose from one of the above replacements. Just, chose wisely for your health.

Breakout References:

1:

Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH) or recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST) refers to bovine growth hormone that is made in a lab using genetic technology. Some rBGH products on the market differ chemically from a cow's natural somatotropin by one amino acid. Both the natural and recombinant forms of the hormone stimulate a cow's milk production by increasing levels of another hormone known as insulin-like growth factor rBST has not been allowed since at least 2000 on the market in Canada, or since 1990 in the European Union (EU). Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Israel, and Argentina have also banned the use of rBST.

2:

Cholecystokinin plays a key role in facilitating digestion within the small intestine. It is secreted from mucosal epithelial cells in the first segment of the small intestine (duodenum), and stimulates delivery into the small intestine of digestive enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the gallbladder.

3:

Natvia is a Stevia sweetener made from 100% natural sources, and it is a healthier alternative to artificial sweeteners and sugar. Unfortunately, erythritol (Which belongs to a class of compounds called sugar alcohols, wand is what Natvia is based upon.) is not that sweet on its own, so it's often combined in foods and beverages with other sweeteners, sometimes artificial sweeteners like aspartame. And as is the case with natvia it is combined with stevia. Stevia which is used in natvia is extracted from the stevia herb or sweet leaf herb.

4:

Phytoestrogens are compounds that naturally occur in plants. They're also found in a wide range of plant foods. If you eat fruits, veggies, legumes, and some grains, you get phytoestrogens from your diet. A plant-based diet is very rich in natural phytoestrogens in healthy amounts, especially from soy. When a woman's estrogen levels drop, it can affect mood and energy levels. Some women try to eat foods rich in phytoestrogens during this time to balance their hormone levels and relieve symptoms.

5:

Starch is a polysaccharide comprising glucose monomers joined in α 1,4 linkages. Starchy foods include bread, pasta, rice, couscous, potatoes, breakfast cereals, oats and other grains like rye and barley. Although these starchy foods are often referred to as 'carbs', this is a little misleading as carbohydrates include both starch and sugars, as well as fibre. Most of the carbohydrates in your diet are starches. But not all of the starch you eat gets digested. Sometimes a small part of it passes through your digestive tract unchanged. In other words, it is resistant to digestion.

6:

Arsenic is a metalloid widely distributed in the earth’s crust. It occurs in trace quantities in rock, soil, water and air. It is a common contaminant in most mineral ores. Arsenic exists in three common valence states: the metalloid (As0) arsenite (trivalent state, As3+) arsenate (pentavalent state, As5+). To read more see: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/arsenic

Information referenced from:

foodwatch.com.au Medical News Today

healthline.com Wikipedia

goodness.com.au choice.com.au

foodnavigator-usa.com foodnutritionresearch.net

news.com cancer.org

nutrition.org.uk safeworkaustralia.gov.au

who.int foodthesis.com

empoweredsustenance.com