Which milk does a body the (most) good? Almond, Coconut, or Skim?

[lapetitepaula]

Hello! I have recently started using almond/coconut milk instead of organic skim dairy milk.  I'm thinking of trying to get pregnant, and I want to make sure that I am making the best health choice for myself and my baby.  Does anyone know which milk is the best choice?  Can you get enough calcium from coconut/almond?  What's best for breast feeding? I'm also worried that some of the ingredients in almond/coconut milk sound a little unnatural (gellan gum, xantham gum, etc...).  When I "drank" skim, it was from cows who had NOT been treated with rBST.  And when I say "drank", I mean that I used it in cereal or mochas.  I've never really been a fan of dairy milk, so I don't actually drink full glasses of it (I'm not lactose intolerant, I just don't like the taste).  Any advice would be great.  Thanks so much!

~Paula :)

Edited by lapetitepaula - 8/6/11 at 10:51pm

[SundayCrepes]

I'm curious to know if anyone has good scientific evidence to answer this. We recently made our daughter dairy free for health reasons. The only non-dairy drink I can buy for her is Rice Dream (and Trader Joe's brand rice drink) because they do not have carageenan. I'm hearing bad things about carageenan and it is in all other non-dairy beverages/milks I've seen. I also give her watered down lite coconut milk.

I do think a varied diet is important, so I wonder if the answer to your question would be to alternate them.

[planthappymamma]

Contrary to popular belief, dairy depletes the body of calcium. Notice how this country drinks the most dairy and has very high rates of osteoperosis? Milk is an acidic food. Our body is always moving toward alkaline, so in order to do that, calcium is drawn from our bones. Also, after pasteurization, the enzyme needed to digest lactose is dead. In modern day milking, wether the cows were treated with RBST or not, they are kept pregnant most their lives and milked until very late in pregnancy, so the milk is packed with hormones. This is what people should be afraid of instead of the phytoestrogens in soy and other plants. In Japan before WWII, dairy wasn't consumed, and cancer was practically nonexistent. Then they introduced it into the school lunches and cancer rates went up. Dairy is designed to grow a tiny calf into a huge cow. At one time it may have sustained people, but remember, it was more natural then, just like meat and other animal products. I only use plant milks in baking and cereal. I get my calcium from beans, leafy greens, seeds, and other plants. Here is a link http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/dairy-free-dairy-6-reason_b_558876.html

[lapetitepaula]

Thanks so much for both of your replies.  

Sunday Crepes, I've been using almond milk from Trader Joe's and it doesn't contain carageenan, so I'll probably stick with that brand.  I hadn't heard about carageenan until your post, so thanks for bringing it to my attention. It will definitely help me decide which milks to buy, and which to steer clear from.  :)

Planthappymomma, Thanks for the link!  It was exactly what I needed to help me stick with my decision to stop using dairy milk.  Since I've been using almond/coconut, I have actually noticed that my sinuses are much better which is something that was stated in the article.  I'm glad to know that dairy milk is not needed to provide our bodies with calcium.  Now I just have to decide between coconut, or almond.  :)

[planthappymamma]

So glad you have reaped the benefits of no dairy. I see a lot of kids who drink tons of the stuff and always have runny noses. What I loved about dairy was the fat and richness and comfort of it. Now, I find that I can get the same thing by making nut creams. I get all the fat and creaminess, but it comes from plants so my body metabolizes it better and I still keep a good weight. I just posted these crunch wraps with a vegan ranch dressing made of cashews. I started this blog recently to help those who want this lifestyle, but don't know of the yummy stuff out there and have a lot of cravings. http://planthappylife.blogspot.com/2011/08/chickpea-crunch-wrap.html

[PatioGardener]

Originally Posted by planthappymamma 

In Japan before WWII, dairy wasn't consumed, and cancer was practically nonexistent. Then they introduced it into the school lunches and cancer rates went up.

There are so many problems with ecological studies like this. It's important to remember that correlation is not causation. The Masai seem to do pretty well on a dairy-based diet. Personally I eat very little dairy, but I haven't seen any convincing evidence that cow milk causes cancer.

[Katc8910]

I believe that pasteurized dairy is dead food - devoid of enzymes, probiotics. etc.  I also believe that raw dairy from pastured and humanely raised animals is super healthy and nutrient-dense.  There is plenty of research by Dr. Price (see http://www.westonaprice.org/ ) to support the fact that raw full-fat dairy is good for you and that you should be weary of soy, esp. unfermented soy in products like soy milk.  Traditional cultures did not consume soy the way Americans do.  As a former vegetarian and vegan (for 16 years or so) I can personally attest to how my health declined over the years and it wasn't until I started eating animal products that my health improved.  That said, I firmly believe that there is no one diet that is right for everyone.  It's up to each of us to figure out what our bodies need.
 

Originally Posted by PatioGardener 

There are so many problems with ecological studies like this. It's important to remember that correlation is not causation. The Masai seem to do pretty well on a dairy-based diet. Personally I eat very little dairy, but I haven't seen any convincing evidence that cow milk causes cancer.

[mommy212]

Personally I alternate them, as someone else mentioned, for my son. He drinks almond milk, coconut milk beverage stuff, soy milk and raw cow's milk- a gallon or so a week, sometimes more. I also use rice milk for cooking. I usually vary it every week but sometimes at the store he requests a particular one so we get that one. I know almond milk has half again as much calcium as cow's milk, and the others have a good amount too, so I do not worry about the calcium part. I figure the various fats and vitamins in the different types will provide a good balance overall. For myself, I drink mostly regular skim milk if I want to actually drink it and not use it in cereal, etc. I can't afford the good milk for myself, just the cheap stuff- as long as lo gets the good stuff, I am okay 

[lapetitepaula]

Thanks for all of the other responses.  I heard a news report about pasteurized milk vs. raw milk on NPR just the other night and It was really interesting.  The expert said as long as you know where the milk is coming from and how the cows were treated, it would be okay to purchase raw milk.  One lady actually said that drinking raw milk helped her beat cancer.  I stay away from all soy because of the hormones, etc.  But I definitely agree that "it's up to each of us to figure out what our bodies need" and that it's good to alternate.  I've actually never tried rice milk, so maybe that'll be next on my list. 

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by lapetitepaula 

Sunday Crepes, I've been using almond milk from Trader Joe's and it doesn't contain carageenan, so I'll probably stick with that brand.  I hadn't heard about carageenan until your post, so thanks for bringing it to my attention. It will definitely help me decide which milks to buy, and which to steer clear from.  :)

Which almond milk is it? I was sure I read all the cartons and they all had carageenan in it. I would prefer to use almond milk over rice milk (or at least alternate them.)

[planthappymamma]

Originally Posted by Katc8910 

I believe that pasteurized dairy is dead food - devoid of enzymes, probiotics. etc.  I also believe that raw dairy from pastured and humanely raised animals is super healthy and nutrient-dense.  There is plenty of research by Dr. Price (see http://www.westonaprice.org/ ) to support the fact that raw full-fat dairy is good for you and that you should be weary of soy, esp. unfermented soy in products like soy milk.  Traditional cultures did not consume soy the way Americans do.  As a former vegetarian and vegan (for 16 years or so) I can personally attest to how my health declined over the years and it wasn't until I started eating animal products that my health improved.  That said, I firmly believe that there is no one diet that is right for everyone.  It's up to each of us to figure out what our bodies need.
 

Super healthy and nutrient dense for a calf. I don't eat much soy. To each's own, but our cancer rates are a lot higher than other cultures, as well as our osteoperosis rates. Numbers don't lie.
 

[lapetitepaula]

Originally Posted by SundayCrepes 

Which almond milk is it? I was sure I read all the cartons and they all had carageenan in it. I would prefer to use almond milk over rice milk (or at least alternate them.)

It's Trader Joe's Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk.  I googled it and found a review with a picture so you'll know what it looks like. :)  Unless carageenan goes by another name too, it's not listed in the ingredients.  Let me know if it does go by another name.  Here's the link: http://healthnuttxo.com/2011/03/30/trader-joes-unsweetened-vanilla-almond-milk/

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by lapetitepaula 

It's Trader Joe's Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk.  I googled it and found a review with a picture so you'll know what it looks like. :)  Unless carageenan goes by another name too, it's not listed in the ingredients.  Let me know if it does go by another name.  Here's the link: http://healthnuttxo.com/2011/03/30/trader-joes-unsweetened-vanilla-almond-milk/

Thanks so much for including the photo. That was both thoughtful and helpful. They don't have that almond milk at our local Trader Joe's. (I was just in the store today reading every box of almond milk.) I'll contact them and ask if they can start offering it here.
 

[Katc8910]

I think that the high cancer rates are due to all the toxins in our lives - everything from food, water, air, the clothes we wear, the cosmetics we use, etc., etc.  As for osteoporosis, it's my understanding that the declining rates of physical activity in our society have the biggest impact together with the fact that most Americans have sub-optimal levels of vitamin D (without which, our bodies cannot properly absorb calcium). 

I'm not interested in a debate about veganism/vegetarianims v. consumption of animal products.  I've been on both sides. I was a militant vegetarian for many years.  After many years, lots of research and learning, but mostly listening to my body, I changed my diet.  And I have come to terms with consuming ethically-raised animal products - I know where my food comes from, I know the farmers, I visit the farms.  This works for me. 
 

Originally Posted by planthappymamma 

Super healthy and nutrient dense for a calf. I don't eat much soy. To each's own, but our cancer rates are a lot higher than other cultures, as well as our osteoperosis rates. Numbers don't lie.
 

[stephbrownthinks]

Are you looking in the refrigerated section? They have some almond milk over by the cereal (well, that's where it is at our TJ's) that is not refrigerated, then the one in the picture from the PP is over by the cow milk in the refrigerated section.
 

Originally Posted by SundayCrepes 

Thanks so much for including the photo. That was both thoughtful and helpful. They don't have that almond milk at our local Trader Joe's. (I was just in the store today reading every box of almond milk.) I'll contact them and ask if they can start offering it here.
 

[SundayCrepes]

Originally Posted by stephbrownthinks 

Are you looking in the refrigerated section? They have some almond milk over by the cereal (well, that's where it is at our TJ's) that is not refrigerated, then the one in the picture from the PP is over by the cow milk in the refrigerated section.

No, I've been looking on the aisle shelf with all the other non-dairy drinks. I will definitely look in the refrigerated section.

Thanks so much for the tip.

[SilverFish]

then you should probably stay out of the vegan/veg forum. you can choose to ignore or disbelieve research as you see fit, but this is a specific forum with a specific focus. if it were posted in the general nutrition section, then anti-veg proselytizing would be more appropriate. 
 

Originally Posted by Katc8910 

I think that the high cancer rates are due to all the toxins in our lives - everything from food, water, air, the clothes we wear, the cosmetics we use, etc., etc.  As for osteoporosis, it's my understanding that the declining rates of physical activity in our society have the biggest impact together with the fact that most Americans have sub-optimal levels of vitamin D (without which, our bodies cannot properly absorb calcium). 

I'm not interested in a debate about veganism/vegetarianims v. consumption of animal products.  I've been on both sides. I was a militant vegetarian for many years.  After many years, lots of research and learning, but mostly listening to my body, I changed my diet.  And I have come to terms with consuming ethically-raised animal products - I know where my food comes from, I know the farmers, I visit the farms.  This works for me.