Milk! All about the different options

Milk is a unique and interesting food. Nutritionists often disagree about whether or not humans should drink milk. Here are two facts about milk, to give you the main argument against and for, so that you can decide if it should be on your own menu:

1. Argument against: Strictly speaking, milk is for babies! We need the enzyme lactase to digest milk and the body produces far less lactase after we reach the age of two. This is why lactose (milk) intolerance is quite common. If you find milk ‘disagrees’ with you, you are best avoiding it in large quantities. Although, most people, even if lactose intolerant, will be able to have a small amount of milk.

2. Argument for: It’s definitely ‘the real thing’. Nutritionally, milk is one of the most complete foods on the planet and, therefore, common sense says that anyone who can tolerate milk should consume it. Milk is a good source of protein, Vitamin B12 and Selenium, and a very good source of Vitamin D, Riboflavin, Calcium and Phosphorus.

There are many other milks available today. Here are a few of the alternatives and the pros and cons of each:

Goat’s Milk:

Pros – is often easier to digest than cow’s milk, because the fat globules are smaller. This can help with intolerance (fewer people are intolerant to Goat’s than cow’s milk).

Cons – it is approximately one and a half times the price of cow’s milk, more difficult to find and it has a slightly salty taste. More serious nutritionally is the fact that it contains a substance that binds with Vitamin B12, which prevents this being absorbed by the body (B12 is the only vitamin that is only found in animal foods and vegans therefore must take it in supplement form). Goat’s milk is also not suitable for toddlers, as the nutritional balance is not right for them.

Rice Milk:

Pros – made from filtered water, brown rice and sea salt it is a useful alternative for people who are intolerant to cow’s milk. It is even higher in vitamins than cow’s milk and also naturally low fat. It is high fibre – unusually for a milk.

Cons – it is sweeter than many milk products and can be sweetened further in food processing, so do check the labels. It is also less widely available than normal milk and is over one and a half times the cost.

Sheep’s milk:

Pros – this contains almost twice as many minerals (calcium, phosphorus, zinc) and vitamins (B family) as cow’s milk. Like goat’s milk, it has small fat globules that are easily digested.

Cons – super expensive! Can be 3-4 times the price of normal milk. It also isn’t always suitable for those with lactose intolerance. People who can’t tolerate cow’s milk often can’t tolerate sheep’s milk as well.

Soya Milk:

Pros – this is a good alternative for people with milk intolerance. It is naturally low fat (so can be used with porridge for a carb meal) and it contains virtually the same levels of nutrients as cow’s milk. It is quite widely available (even as an option in high street coffee shops).

Cons – soya milk is made from soaked, cooked and ground soya beans, so it doesn’t easily taste like milk! It is therefore heavily processed to mask the quite bitter flavour. It sometimes contains sugar or sweeteners to change the flavour, so do watch out. It is also close to one and a half times the price of cow’s milk.

On balance, therefore, my advice would be to drink milk, if you can tolerate it, for all the nutrition it provides and to stick to good old cow’s milk if you are OK with this. The next best options would be those equally close to how nature provides milk – i.e. out of an animal! That means goat’s milk and sheep’s milk are the next best options. Finally, soya and rice milk are not overly natural, but they are useful alternatives for people who are intolerant to normal milk.

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