“Animals from which milk is obtained are not always healthy. They may be diseased. A cow may be apparently well in the morning, and die before night. Then she was diseased in the morning, and her milk was diseased, but you did not know it. The animal creation is diseased.” –Counsels on Diet and Foods, p. 356. “In a short time the milk of the cows will also be excluded from the diet of God’s commandment-keeping people.” –Ibid., p. 411 (Written in 1898)
In the October 2020 issue of The Reformation Messenger, we looked at the revolution of Food Guides, specifically Canada’s Food Guides. Many countries’ Food Guides have similar recommendations and have evolved over the years as new knowledge was incorporated into providing their population with the best-possible nutrition advice. We then looked specifically at the “Milk” category, which had been a long-standing category in all Food Guides from 1942 to 2007. Finally, in 2019, milk no longer had a category of its own. It was included in the broad-based category of “proteins”. There was finally a recognition that people did not need dairy milk in the diet to provide a nutritionally balanced diet. Instead of dairy-based milk, many have turned to plant-based “milks” as a substitute in recipes and dishes that once contained dairy-based milk.
NUTRITIONAL COMPARISON OF DAIRY VS PLANT MILKS
Do these plant-based milks provide the same nutritional value as dairy-based milks? Other important questions to ask are, do we actually require the nutrition that dairy-based milks contain? Is its nutritional profile so unique that we cannot obtain the nutrition elsewhere in our diet? As we reviewed last month, dairy-based milk can cause a lot of negative health effects due to various components it contains, such as saturated fats, carbohydrates in the form of lactose, and protein in the form of casein. Dairy milk also contains calcium, vitamin B12, riboflavin (B2), and phosphorus. It is also fortified with Vitamin A (lost in processing) and vitamin D. However, these vitamins and minerals can be obtained through other food sources. Many plant foods are high in calcium, such as soybeans, beans, peas, lentils, certain nuts and seeds, and leafy green vegetables. Riboflavin can be found in nutritional yeast, quinoa, avocado, almonds, wild rice, and mushrooms. Foods containing phosphorus also include beans, soybeans, nuts, seeds, chickpeas, quinoa, and lentils.
Plant based foods and plant-based milks, contain unsaturated fats, as well as the healthy Omega-3 fat. All plants contain carbohydrates, and in a form that is readily digestible, unlike the lactose in dairy products. Vitamin B12 is the only component that cannot be as readily obtained in a vegan diet; however, nutritional yeast contains Vitamin B12, and many plant-based milks are fortified with Vitamin B12. When considering the harm to one’s health from the other components of dairy milk, drinking it solely for its vitamin B12 content does not provide for a safe source of vitamin B12. If there is any concern with a deficiency of Vitamin B12 in one’s diet, taking a Vitamin B12 supplement is recommended.
Another benefit of plant-based milks, which is not found in dairy milk, is the healthy phytochemicals that all plant-based foods contain. These have many positive health effects based on their anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, hormone regulating, and immune boosting properties. Plant-based milks also contain many different vitamins and minerals, as do all
plant-based foods. Also, plant-based milks provide fiber, which is lacking in dairy-based milks.
We see the push for diets that promote animal protein over carbohydrates, such as the Paleo Diet. People who eat animal products in the form of meat, milk, and other dairy products are consuming more protein than the body needs. The body cannot use the extra protein efficiently and this puts a burden on the bones, kidneys, and liver. Excess protein is stored by the body in the form of fat. Diets high in animal protein, including dairy based milk, can contribute to deficiencies in calcium and Vitamin D, dehydration, diarrhea, including more well-known effects such as heart disease, cancer, and kidney disease. These effects are not found in consuming plant proteins. A plant-based diet eating a variety of foods, is nutritionally complete in protein content, without the risks involved in consuming excess proteins.
In conclusion, there is no nutrient that is contained in dairy milk that cannot be supplied from a plant-based diet. To make a comparison of dairy milk to plant-based milks in terms of nutritional content is not, in my opinion, even necessary or helpful. Eating a healthy vegan diet, with a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, and beans will more than compensate for the nutrition found in a glass of dairy milk. The side-to-side comparisons are most often made by promoters of dairy milk to try to prove its superiority over plant-based milks.
USE OF PLANT-BASED MILKS
Because a significant percentage of the world’s population cannot digest the lactose in dairy milk, people are switching to plant-based milks, which are now readily available. People are drinking less dairy milk. In 2018, according to statistics, sales of cow’s milk dropped 6 percent from the previous year, and sales of plant-based milks went up 9 percent. Worldwide sales of non-dairy milk alternatives more than doubled between 2009 and 2015; this is due both to consumer demand and the increasing array of products that are available to meet the increased demand. Meanwhile, consumption of cow’s milk has dropped 13 percent in the U.S. over the last five years.
There are also some drawbacks to plant-based milks. The main one is that most plant milks are not made using organic crops, and some are GMO crops. Certain plant milks affect the environment in a negative way; for example, almond farming is destroying many of the world’s bees. Also, it requires significant amounts of water to produce, often in areas that suffer drought conditions during growing season thus using valuable water that could be used elsewhere. Other factors include how the farming of the crop affects people and native habitats, especially in developing countries.
Some plant milks are more sustainable than others, in their impact on the environment. However, overall, plant-based milks are better for the environment than dairy-based milks. When referring to the impact that any action has on the environment, we refer to “sustainability” which is defined as “the avoidance of the depletion of natural resources in order to maintain an ecological balance.” As quoted in the last article, a 2018 study by the University of Oxford showed that to produce one glass of dairy milk results in almost three times more greenhouse gas emissions than any plant-based milk, and uses nine times more land to produce in raising and feeding cattle, than any of the diary milk alternatives. When God created this world, he also gave mankind dietary guidelines. If we adhere to these guidelines, mankind is able to feed the world without significant negative impacts on the environment, and the amount of food that would be produced would be able to feed the world, without anyone going hungry.
We will review all the current milk alternatives on the market. This month we will look at soy milk.
SOY MILK
Soy milk is the most recognizable plant-based milk, and was the “original” replacement for cow’s milk; it has been available for the longest time, being on the market since the 1950s. Soy milk is derived from the soybean plant, a species of legume native to East Asia. Not only is soy used in milk, but it is incorporated into many food items in the form of tofu, tempeh, miso, soy sauce and edamame.
Soy is also a significant source of nutrition for livestock. 70% of the world’s soybean crops are fed to livestock, because it is cheap and allows the livestock to gain weight quickly so that they can get to market faster. Only 6% is grown for human consumption. The rest of the soy crops goes to producing soybean oil. Because such a large quantity of soybean crops is needed to feed livestock for meat and dairy production, a lot of natural habitats have been destroyed to create soy farms, especially rainforests. For example, in the Amazon rainforest large areas of the rainforest has been burned down to make way for soy. If soy crops were used strictly for mankind to eat directly, we would not need such large quantities of soy to be grown, and much more of our beautiful natural surroundings would remain intact. We would also be able to provide a greater amount of food for the world’s population overall. In fact, if we look at the total of all animal agriculture, it takes up 77% of all agricultural land on earth, but only supplies 17% of our food.
Interestingly, the food that is fed to cows to produce beef for human consumption, is healthier than the beef itself. Farmers feed cows a nutritious diet of soybeans; then when humans consume the cow, they are eating a product that is unhealthy. The world would be much healthier if people consumed the soybean itself, instead of feeding it to livestock first, and eating the meat and dairy products from the livestock.
A drawback of soy milk is that it is one of the top three genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the USA, with 94% of all soybeans in the country being GMOs. In fact, most (82%) of the soybean crops worldwide are GMOs. Much is still not known as to the effects of GMOs on the human body especially with prolonged use over time. Most mainstream soy milk brands use non-GMO ingredients. When drinking soy milk, look for cartons that are labeled organic as they will not contain GMO soybeans. Soy can also be a common allergen, and many people cannot consume soy. There are other plant-based milk products that can be used instead of soy for those who are allergic.
Soy milk is made by soaking, crushing, cooking, and straining soybeans. In terms of protein content, it is the only milk alternative that naturally contains the same amount of protein as a cup of cow’s milk; it is considered a complete protein with 16 amino acids and provides 8 grams of protein per cup. Soy protein can also reduce cholesterol levels. And plant proteins in general are also known to cause less calcium loss through the kidneys compared to animal proteins. Soy milk is also fortified with omega-3 fatty acids and naturally contains fiber. Most soy milk is also fortified with vitamins A, D, B12, and calcium. In addition, soy milk is a good source of potassium, manganese and magnesium. When manufacturing soy milk, it is the “least processed” out of all plant-based milks. However, soy milks can contain thickeners, sometimes in the form of carrageenan which improve its consistency and shelf life. The safety of carrageenan has been recently questioned; many of these findings were based on testing the degraded form of carrageenan, which is not approved for use in food. Some studies show that food-grade carrageenan can increase inflammation in the intestines; therefore, if you have concerns, look for soy milks that do not contain carrageenan as the thickener.
All plant-based foods have a variety of phytochemicals—compounds which protect the plant from various pathogens that may damage the plant, such as fungi, bacteria and viruses; they also give plants their aroma, colour, and flavour. The same protective qualities of phytochemicals that the plant enjoys is then transferred to the person who eats the plant. Many phytochemicals provide desirable health benefits beyond basic nutrition to reduce the risk of major chronic diseases. Soy is rich in the phytochemicals known as flavonoids; they are anti-oxidants, anti-inflammatory, and heart protective. They reduce the risk of osteoporosis, some cancers, and reduce levels of unhealthy cholesterol. In countries which consume large quantities of soy, the incidence of prostate and breast cancer is much lower. In the past, soy has been maligned for its levels of isoflavones which are similar to the female hormone, estrogen. Concern was surrounding the effects in men of consuming the estrogens in soy. Studies show that massive quantities, more than anyone could consume in one’s diet, would be required for soy to be a problem. Plant estrogens have been found to reduce the risk of heart disease. Especially for women, soy helps to reduce the risk of breast cancer, post-menopausal symptoms, and bone mineral density reduction in post-menopausal women. If anyone has concerns about soy milk, the bonus is that there are many other milk alternatives available.
In addition to drinking soy milk, it can be used in baking and cooking; soy milk can be used cup for cup, in the same ratio as dairy milk. The flavour may be slightly different, but the final product will be similar in texture and consistency. Overall, soy milk is nutritious, healthy, and a delicious addition to one’s diet.
“The light given me is that it will not be very long before we shall have to give up any animal food. Even milk will have to be discarded. Disease is accumulating rapidly. The curse of God is upon the earth, because man has cursed it.” –Counsels on Diet and Food, p. 357 (Written in 1899—121 years ago. How soon is soon?)
NEXT MONTH: REVIEW OF OTHER MILK ALTERNATIVES