There are more and more choices of plant-based milk on the market. In addition to soy milk, which is popular among fitness enthusiasts, there are also oat milk, almond milk and so on. Some people say that drinking milk will increase the incidence of certain cancers, is this true? So should we switch to plant-based milk?
There are more and more types of plant-based milk in the supermarket, such as soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, cashew milk or oat milk. Choosing plant-based dairy products may sound healthy, but is it necessarily so?
Vasanti Malik, an adjunct assistant professor at Harvard University’s Tseng-Hsieh Chen School of Public Health, gives you some advice on choosing dairy products, such as is it better to choose plant-based dairy products than to drink cow’s milk?
In fact, if you are already used to drinking cow’s milk, you don’t need to switch to plant-based milk. Milk is an excellent source of essential vitamins and minerals. One serving of cow’s milk contains calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, and many of the micronutrients required by your diet.
In the past, experts recommended taking dairy products to strengthen bones and avoid fractures, but Malik pointed out that it was later found that there was no strong evidence that drinking a lot of milk or consuming dairy products could reduce the risk of fractures.
However, if you want to switch to plant-based milk because you are overly product or lactose intolerant to cow’s milk, you can try it. For insurance purposes, you may need to take extra calcium supplements if necessary after switching to plant-based milk.
How do I choose plant-based milk?
The quality of plant milks varies greatly. Some plant milks do contain nutrients comparable to cow’s milk, but many are significantly less. Many almond milks, for example, contain far less protein than cow’s milk.
When choosing plant-based milk, if you don’t just want to drink it as a beverage, but also want to get the nutrients you need, you must read the label to make sure you are getting enough protein, vitamin D, iron, and calcium. Ideally, each serving should contain at least 8 or 9 grams of protein.
Palatability is also a test. The few plant milks that are not sweetened are not palatable to some people. In order to solve this problem, manufacturers have instead added sugar and other additives to many plant-based dairy products.
According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the maximum daily intake of added sugar per person should not exceed 10% of total calories, which translates to less than 50 grams. Many experts even recommend that the added sugar intake be suppressed to less than 25 grams.
Is there any other reason to switch to plant-based milk?
Switching to plant-based milk is an environmentally friendly act. If you are looking to lower your carbon footprint, plant-based milk is indeed an option.
Is there any downside to the soy milk that bodybuilders love to drink?
In the past, some experts did worry that soy contains the phytoestrogen isoflavones, which may increase the risk of breast cancer and endocrine disorders. However, Malik says these theories have been clarified and “experts no longer have concerns about soy, so as long as you make sure you are not allergic to soy products, you have nothing to worry about.
Other reasons to switch to plant-based milk?
Some studies suggest that drinking more milk or dairy products may reduce the risk of colorectal cancer, but also increase the risk of prostate cancer and ovarian cancer.
Malik said, “The scientific evidence is not really significant,” and based on that, it seems impossible to recommend that people consume more or less milk or dairy products based on the information available. But he did say that if there is a history of prostate and ovarian cancer in the family, it might be worth asking your doctor if you need to adjust your diet.
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