Anyone else think it’s a little weird to be adult mammals that drink the breast milk
of other animals that’s meant for babies?
No?
just me?
Okay.
hey guys Julia here for DNews
Humans only recently started drinking cow’s milk.
We kind of well forced ourselves to do it.
For the longest time people made cheese and other dairy products but sometimes would get
stomach pains and digestion issues from it.
But around 7,500 years ago something changed.
Someone in Central Europe, didn’t get ill when they drank cow’s milk.
Their DNA mutated, for the better!
Now 65% of people are lactose intolerant, and that percentage is even higher in those
of East Asian descent.
So if you’re one of the 65% but still like something sweet to pour on your fruity-Os,
what should you use?
Well the most common alternative to milk is SOY.
Soy is a traditional crop in China, so soymilk is probably thousands of years old.
But it didn’t really hit the US until the 1980s when it was introduced in San Francisco
in 1979 by Hong Kong based company Vitasoy.
Since then, the product has taken on a life of its own.
It’s made by soaking the beans for a while, mostly likely overnight and then grinding
them down so it makes a nice..
well.. milky consistency.
Chinese and japanese methods differ on when exactly to boil the beans, but no matter the
method heat must be applied to kill protease inhibitors which can damage the pancreas.
But soymilk is pretty good for you!
It has just as much protein as regular milk, more fiber, and soy has been shown to lower
bad cholesterol and raise the good kind according to a study published in The American Journal
of Cardiology.
Other studies like one published in Circulation show that soy products can reduce blood pressure.
But it does have its downsides, soy is notorious for it’s high levels of isoflavones which
some are considered might be harmful because they mimic estrogen.
Some studies show that too much exposure of soy’s phytoestrogens in mice in the womb
might harm a fetus’s reproductive abilities later in life according to one study published
in the journal Biology of Reproduction, but other studies should they’re beneficial
to adults in other ways.
So the research is mixed on the subject.
And soymilk it’s low in vitamin D compared to cow’s milk, one study published in the
Canadian Medical Association Journal found that kids who drank non-dairy milk are twice
as likely to have low vitamin D. But that can be added, so fortified drinks are the
way to go if you're worried about it.
But some people are allergic to soy…
so almond milk becomes the best choice.
Almond milk has been around for awhile too, at least since Medieval times.
And it’s simply made.
It’s just ground up almonds and water then strained.
Yeah so easy you can make your own!
But it’s not that packed with nutrients, an 8-ounce glass of almond milk contains only
1 gram of protein and fiber.
And most manufacturers add in vitamins and minerals like Calcium and Vitamin E.
And no it doesn’t dry up California, yes growing almonds uses a lot of water.
Almonds use 10 percent of California’s agricultural water supply.
So almonds are thirsty yes, but most of what goes into almond milk isn’t almonds….
according to one brand, Alpro, only 2% of their product is actually almonds.
The rest is just water, thickening agents and added nutrients.
So it’s still a net win for the environment.
But if you’re like me and allergic to almonds..
well you’d probably be safe with coconut milk.
Coconut milk is made from the white fleshy bits of a coconut.
like most of the other products, it’s mashed up or grated and boiled in water then strained
through something like a cheese cloth.
While coconut milk tends to be high in fat, an 8 ounce glass will have over 30 grams,
they are dense in other nutrients like fiber, b vitamins, vitamin e and minerals like iron
and magnesium.
So, what type of milk should you drink?
Well pick whatever you like the taste of best, in my experience none of them get close to
tasting like cow’s milk, but vanilla soymilk isn’t that bad.
but if you’re looking to pack in the protein, I wouldn’t use almond milk, go for soy.
Oh, and what about human breast milk?
Is that a good alternative?
That’s actually the topic of a whole ‘nother DNews video
from Julian.