Soy, Almond or Coconut: Which Non-Dairy Milk Is Best?
Anyone else think it’s a little weird tobe adult mammals that drink the breast milk
of other animals that’s meant for babies?No? just me? Okay.
hey guys Julia here for DNews
Humans only recently started drinking cow’smilk. We kind of well forced ourselves to
do it. For the longest time people made cheeseand other dairy products but sometimes would
get stomach pains and digestion issues fromit. But around 7,500 years ago something changed.
Someone in Central Europe, didn’t get illwhen they drank cow’s milk. Their DNA mutated,
for the better!
Now 65% of people are lactose intolerant,and that percentage is even higher in those
of East Asian descent. So if you’re oneof the 65% but still like something sweet
to pour on your fruity-Os, what should youuse?
Well the most common alternative to milk isSOY. Soy is a traditional crop in China, so
soymilk is probably thousands of years old.But it didn’t really hit the US until the
1980s when it was introduced in San Franciscoin 1979 by Hong Kong based company Vitasoy.
Since then, the product has taken on a lifeof its own.
It’s made by soaking the beans for a while,mostly likely overnight and then grinding
them down so it makes a nice.. well.. milkyconsistency. Chinese and japanese methods
differ on when exactly to boil the beans,but no matter the method heat must be applied
to kill protease inhibitors which can damagethe pancreas.
But soymilk is pretty good for you! It hasjust as much protein as regular milk, more
fiber, and soy has been shown to lower badcholesterol and raise the good kind according
to a study published in The American Journalof Cardiology. Other studies like one published
in Circulation show that soy products canreduce blood pressure. But it does have its
downsides, soy is notorious for it’s highlevels of isoflavones which some are considered
might be harmful because they mimic estrogen.Some studies show that too much exposure of
soy’s phytoestrogens in mice in the wombmight harm a fetus’s reproductive abilities
later in life according to one study publishedin the journal Biology of Reproduction, but
other studies should they’re beneficialto adults in other ways. So the research is
mixed on the subject. And soymilk it’s lowin vitamin D compared to cow’s milk, one
study published in the Canadian Medical AssociationJournal found that kids who drank non-dairy
milk are twice as likely to have low vitaminD. But that can be added, so fortified drinks
are the way to go if you're worried aboutit.
But some people are allergic to soy… soalmond milk becomes the best choice. Almond
milk has been around for awhile too, at leastsince Medieval times. And it’s simply made.
It’s just ground up almonds and water thenstrained. Yeah so easy you can make your own!
But it’s not that packed with nutrients,an 8-ounce glass of almond milk contains only
1 gram of protein and fiber. And most manufacturersadd in vitamins and minerals like Calcium
and Vitamin E.
And no it doesn’t dry up California, yesgrowing almonds uses a lot of water. Almonds
use 10 percent of California’s agriculturalwater supply. So almonds are thirsty yes,
but most of what goes into almond milk isn’talmonds…. according to one brand, Alpro,
only 2% of their product is actually almonds.The rest is just water, thickening agents
and added nutrients. So it’s still a netwin for the environment.
But if you’re like me and allergic to almonds..well you’d probably be safe with coconut
milk. Coconut milk is made from the whitefleshy bits of a coconut. like most of the
other products, it’s mashed up or gratedand boiled in water then strained through
something like a cheese cloth.
While coconut milk tends to be high in fat,an 8 ounce glass will have over 30 grams,
they are dense in other nutrients like fiber,b vitamins, vitamin e and minerals like iron
and magnesium.
So, what type of milk should you drink? Wellpick whatever you like the taste of best,
in my experience none of them get close totasting like cow’s milk, but vanilla soymilk
isn’t that bad. but if you’re lookingto pack in the protein, I wouldn’t use almond
milk, go for soy.
Oh, and what about human breast milk? Is thata good alternative? That’s actually the
topic of a whole ‘nother DNews video
from Julian.
For various reasons, many people are switching to non-dairy milks. How healthy are they? Is Breast Milk Healthy For Adults? ►►►► http://dne.ws/1P6Nt64 Read More: Almond Milk: Nutritional Benefits http://www.livescience.com/51695-almond-milk-nutrition.html “At its most basic, almond milk is a drink made from ground almonds and water. It is a popular plant-based alternative to cow’s milk.” Is Soy Milk Healthier? http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/is-soy-milk-healthier/ “Some researchers believe that drinking cow’s milk reduces the risk of kidney stones, colon cancer and other health problems. But others counter that the saturated fats in cow’s milk are big contributors to America’s weight problems.” The Health Benefits of Coconut Milk http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-coconut-milk “Coconuts are highly nutritious and rich in fibre, vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5 and B6 and minerals including iron, selenium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorous.” ____________________ DNews is dedicated to satisfying your curiosity and to bringing you mind-bending stories & perspectives you won't find anywhere else! New videos twice daily. Watch More DNews on TestTube http://testtube.com/dnews Subscribe now! http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=dnewschannel DNews on Twitter http://twitter.com/dnews Trace Dominguez on Twitter https://twitter.com/tracedominguez Julia Wilde on Twitter https://twitter.com/julia_sci DNews on Facebook https://facebook.com/DiscoveryNews DNews on Google+ http://gplus.to/dnews Discovery News http://discoverynews.com Download the TestTube App: http://testu.be/1ndmmMq