Spilling the facts about milk choices

The dizzying array of options makes choosing milk a little complicated these days. Aside from cow’s milk, there are the goat, soy, almond, rice and coconut varieties.

A spokeswoman from the American Dietetic Association pointed out that each one has a different nutritional profile. Most are vitamin D-fortified and even taste is not much different, which is good news to those who are lactose-intolerant.

Those who are calorie-conscious can go for almond milk, which is lowest at 60 calories, followed by skim cow’s milk at 86. Rice milk registers at 120 calories, soy milk at 132, whole cow’s milk 147, goat 150. Coconut milk is the highest at 467 calories.

The online nutritiondata.self.com published the comparison and noted that skim cow’s milk provides 50% of the recommended daily value. Goat’s and whole cow’s milk provide 33% of the required daily value. Soy milk provides 25%, almond 20%, coconut 4% and rice 2%.

In terms of protein content, goat is the highest with 9 grams and rice is lowest at 0.4 grams. Whole cow’s milk and skim milk are both at 8 grams while soy is at 7 grams. Coconut has 4.8 grams while almond has 1 gram.

As for fat content, coconut milk has 50.5 grams. Next highest is goat’s milk at 10 grams, followed by whole cow’s milk at 8. Soy has 4 grams of fat, almond has 2.5 and rice milk has 2. Skim milk has zero fat.

Cow’s milk is readily available and comes in variants such as whole, 2%, 1%, non-fat or skim. All variants register almost double the calcium of most milk. What is most detrimental to choosing cow’s milk is the growing lactose intolerance and milk allergies of a lot of people.

Soy is rich in protein and has no saturated fat, but it is reported to inhibit protein and mineral absorption. There are also controversial studies linking it to breast cancer risk. While goat’s milk has a lot of calcium and is more easily digested, it has a distinct taste (a combination of sweet and salty) plus it also has lactose. While almond milk is an attractive alternative for those with milk allergies, it is certainly not suitable for those allergic to nuts. 

Cristina Marasigan, senior dietitian in a famous gym chain, said that goat’s milk is more digestible than cow’s milk because it lacks the protein called agglutin.  Goat’s milk contains less lactose and it doesn’t have the protein that causes allergic reaction called alpha S1 casein.

“Cow and goat’s milk give almost the same amount of calories, but cow’s milk is lower in total fat and saturated fat. The level would be much lower with low fat or skim milk. Both are good sources of protein, calcium, and vitamin D. These foods are nil in dietary fiber, and have little vitamins C and E, and iron,” she said.

“Some sources indicate that both have similar amounts of thiamin and vitamin D. However, cow’s milk has 18 percent more riboflavin than goat’s milk. Cow’s milk also has six times the amount of folate found in goat’s milk. On the other hand, with 483 IU vitamin A, goat’s milk has 18 percent more vitamin A than cow’s milk.

“Mother’s milk contains 4 percent fat, higher than goat’s and cow’s milk. Mother’s milk also has long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids such as docosahexaenoic acid or DHA, and arachidonic acid or ARA, both of which are not found in goat’s milk or cow’s milk. DHA and ARA are needed by the nervous system and for eye health.

“At 1.1%, mother’s milk has lower protein content; however this amount is balanced and easier to digest. It meets the baby’s unique protein requirements while protecting the baby’s immature kidneys from an overload of protein wastes. 

“Human milk, cow’s milk, and goat’s milk all contain alpha-lactoalbumin but with slightly different structures. The lactoalbumin in human milk is well tolerated. Goat’s milk, like breast milk, produces an alkaline reaction, whereas cow’s milk causes an acid reaction, which can promote bacterial growth. The protein in goat’s milk also forms delicate curd in the stomach, hence is easier to digest than cow’s milk.

“Compared with human milk, animal milk is relatively low in iron and copper. Consuming cow’s milk or goat’s milk without supplementation can lead to infant anemia, since the synthesis of red blood cells is dependent on these minerals. Moreover, goat’s and cow’s milk may contain too much calcium and phosphorous for the baby’s kidneys to handle. 

“Goat’s milk is a good source of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining normal blood pressure and heart function. A cup of goat’s milk contains 498.7 mg. of potassium and only 121.5 mg. of sodium, hence may help to prevent high blood pressure and protect against atherosclerosis,” Cristy concluded.

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