Delicooks

The pros and cons of animal milk have been discussed for some time now. While some cultures consider that the only milk fit for human consumption is the nursing mother's milk, Westerners have long used animal milk as one of the essential ingredients of our diet.
 
Yet more and more studies appear to contradict the Western idea that sees animal milk as the main source of calcium in the human diet and have called into question the use of animal milk for a healthy lifestyle.
 
Without wishing to wade too deeply into a controversy that fills pages and pages (both online and print), Delicooks reviews some of the most relevant data on the matter.
 
Nutritional properties of milk.
 
Besides water, milk contains high percentages of protein (casein and soluble proteins) fats (mostly saturated and unsaturated fatty acids), lactose, minerals such as calcium, phosphorus and potassium, lots of B vitamins and, to a lesser extent, vitamins A, C, D and E.
 
The drawbacks of milk
 
Opponents of animal milk consumption say that it can be linked to digestive, cardiovascular, respiratory, autoimmune diseases and allergies. They contend that the calcium provided by milk can be found in vegetables (especially cress, spinach, broccoli), nuts, fruits, cereals, legumes and seeds such as flax and sesame.
 
Types of milk available on the market
 
There are a wide variety of milks treated differently during the production process: homogenized, pasteurized, UHT or long life, sterilized, and fortified milk.
 
Fortified milks are produced by enriching milk's nutritional content. Thus, we find whole, skimmed or semi-skimmed milk, rich in protein, minerals or vitamins, or where the fat is replaced by vegetable fats and fish oil (Omega-3). There are also partially lactose-free milks.
 
Vegetable-based milk
 
Soy milk is the best known of the vegetable-based milks, but you can also find rice, oat, almond and hazelnut milk.
 
Soy milk is rich in B vitamins, and minerals such as iron and vegetable protein. It is advisable to consult your pediatrician before giving soy milk to children, because it contains phytoestrogens, which make it especially suitable for women in menopause. Soy milk provides similar amounts of calcium to animal milk, has less sodium and calories, and the fat is predominantly polyunsaturated, therefore reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Moreover, there are brands of soy milk fortified with calcium and vitamins D and B12. You can use it with cereal or fruit and also in shakes, ice cream, bechamel sauce, yogurt, cream soups, and in general, all recipes that call for milk.
 
Goat's milk: the happy medium?
 
The main difficulty involved in replacing cow's milk with soy milk is that the taste and texture is very different. It's easy to incorporate soy milk into your diet but it is much harder to stop using animal milk altogether. Unless you are vegan, one option for replacing cow's milk in your diet is to use goat's milk.
 
Increasingly, serious research is showing the benefits of goat milk as compared to cow's milk. The proteins in goat's milk are of better quality. Lipids are composed mainly of medium-chain fatty acids, and are thus less fattening and can lower cholesterol levels. The absorption of calcium by the bones in goat's milk is much higher, therefore preventing osteoporosis. Moreover, contrary to what happens with other foods rich in calcium, goat's milk promotes iron absorption and the metabolism of minerals such as phosphorus, copper, magnesium, zinc and selenium.
 
What's more, an article published in the International Dairy Journal, reveals that ongoing research at the University of Granada shows that goat's milk protects against damage to DNA.