Doctor Shares What Most People Don’t Know About Nondairy Milk and How It Compares to Cow’s Milk

Cow's milk might be the gold standard of nutrition, but Doctor Turner believes that other milks, too, have benefits.

PUBLISHED 1 DAY AGO

A little boy is pouring milk from a bottle into a bowl. (Representative Cover Image Source: Pexels | Tima Miroshnichenko)

For as long as humans have existed, milk has been the first drink they drink when they pop out into this world from the bellies of their moms. However, lately, milk has become a subject of grave and pressing confusion among humans. Charlie, a barista in an Australian café, loves to make coffee. Each time someone orders a coffee made with cow’s milk, he feels like hugging them, because, most of the time, customers usually bombard his brain with non-dairy milks like almond, oat, or soy milk, because cow’s milk tends to give them “allergies.” This, he said, “drives [him] nuts.”

Woman enjoying a cup of coffee in a cafe (Representative Image Source: Freepik)

Writing in Ask Doctor Zac, a weekly column from News.com.au, Doctor Zac Turner from Sydney answered people's queries about non-dairy milk. “Trust me, mate, I get it. The world has gone absolutely mad with milk these days, but I’m here to help clear up the confusion once and for all,” Doctor Turner told Charlie. He confessed that even he becomes googly-eyed each time he walks to the counter to order his coffee, and there are eight different milks to choose from. But things like lactose intolerance and milk allergies are a real thing, he told the barista.

Hand pours milk from a jug into a glass (Representative Image Source: Pixabay | Conger Design)

“There are plenty of folks out there who can’t touch dairy without feeling like their stomach’s staging a protest. So, when someone orders that oat milk latte, they probably don’t want to get into a full medical discussion with you,” the doctor explained. Cow’s milk, he said, is still one of the best milk options to choose, given that it is sourced from ethical, sustainable farms, which come with an environmental cost. Ultimately, he said, the assumption that all milks are the same is erroneous because not every milk comes with the same amount of nutrients.

Cows locked up in a dairy farm being milked using a machine. (Representative Image Source: Pexels | Mark Stebnicki)

“For a start, a lot of the confusion would be eliminated if there were a rule that milk can only be called milk if it is a white liquid which comes from a female mammal! That being said, these ‘female mammal derived milks’ have very different nutrient and vitamin profiles, and promote different benefits,” the doctor said. Cow’s milk is touted as one of the best source of fats, proteins, and micronutrients, but “most alternative ‘nut drinks’ are usually pumped with additional protein and calcium to match cow’s milk’s nutritional benchmark.” Many of the nut milks are also pumped with artificial sweeteners. “You’d be surprised how many cafes use sweetened ‘nut drinks’ to make their coffee taste better,” he reflected.

A bowl of almonds, a bottle of almond milk, a jug of almond milk (Representative Image Source: Freepik)

While one may think that nut drinks protect the environment by lessening the burden on cows, it actually wreaks havoc on the planet by siphoning enormous quantities of water. Almond milk, especially. “One almond kernel requires 12 litres of water, and the almond industry has been linked to having a detrimental effect on bee populations,” Doctor Turner explained. But since cow’s milk is not a valid choice for everyone, particularly those with lactose intolerance, the doctor crafted a list of milks, ranking them from best to worst. Soy milk, the first candidate on the list, contains “a similar amount of protein to cow’s milk.” Plus, it is fortified with calcium and vitamins.

Different types of nut milks (Representative Image Source: Freepik)

The second milk on the doctor’s list is oat milk, which has “high beta-glucan levels, low environmental impact and, because it’s the creamiest option, most similar to the taste of cow’s milk.” Almond milk, the last on the list, is “the worst,” as most of the time, it is flooded with sweeteners. Other options are macadamia milk and A2 milk, depending on your digestive system. He assured Mark that his girlfriend’s milk obsession might not just be an extreme preference, and he should try to dive deeper into understanding her choices and which milk suits her the best. As for Charlie, now he has a bank of solid facts to back up his coffee conversations with the café customers.