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 some pros and cons of each:

Almond Milk:

Pros – almond milk is suitable for people with cow’s milk intolerance, lactose intolerance and for vegans who don’t consume any animal foods. Almonds are a natural food and therefore, even though almond milk is essentially just water mixed with ground almonds, this is a largely natural substance. Nuts are nutritious foods and much of this can be retained in almond milk – it depends on the extent of the processing. Almond milk can be made at home – that would be the best option.

Cons – it can be several times the price of cow’s milk. A lot of the options are sweetened or flavoured in some way and should therefore be avoided. It can be quite difficult to get hold of – not a staple in all supermarkets.

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 also  a quite nutritious option for vegans, who don’t consume any animal products.

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. It won’t contain B12, for which cow’s milk is a food source, as B12 is only found in animal foods.

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.

Soy(a) Milk – (it is called soy in the USA and soya in the UK):

Pros – this is an alternative for people with milk intolerance or for vegans who don’t eat any animal products (note, I didn’t say a “good” alternative)  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). That’s being very generous…

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.

Far worse than this are the health concerns about soy(a) generally. You may like to find out more about soy(a) from the Weston Price Foundation. I’ll quote Dr Kaayla Daniel, author of “The Whole Soy Story”, for a summary of the health concerns. Dr Daniel set out to study the health benefits of soya some years ago and found only dis-benefits: “Thousands of studies link soy to malnutrition, digestive distress, immune-system breakdown, thyroid dysfunction, cognitive decline, reproductive disorders, and infertility – even cancer and heart disease”.

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. If you are having any signs of intolerance (bloating, skin conditions etc) with normal cow’s milk, you may like to try real (unpasteurized) milk. The less involvement food manufacturers have had in our food is usually for the better.

The next best option 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, almond and rice milk are the best non-animal sourced options for people who are intolerant to normal milk and/or vegans who choose not to consume any animal products.