Milk Wars: Navigating the Battle Between Dairy and Plant-Based Alternatives
To drink or not to drink... that is the question. But more importantly, what the bloody hell should we drink?
Gone are the days of milk and one sugar in your tea. Now, it's less about moo juice and more about plant-based options. Let’s break down the best options for your white moustache.
Why Ditch Dairy?
Due to various reasons including lactose intolerance, digestive issues, plant-based diets and environmental and animal welfare concerns; the humble cow boob secretion is becoming a less popular option whilst plant-based alternatives have skyrocketed.
If you’re dealing with gut issues, breakouts, eczema or hormonal imbalances then our number one piece of advice is to avoid ALL dairy products. This may not be a ‘forever’ thing but whilst we treat your ailments and get some of your health goals well and truly kicked, it’s a temporary measure we 100% advise. Yep, even your natural Greek yoghurt for now!
Soy: The Hormonal Hero
Comparable in protein to its moo’ing counterpart, the juice from a sassy soybean is low in saturated fat, high in fibre and can help manage cholesterol levels. From a hormonal perspective and when it comes to things like cancer, most breast cancers start as ‘hormone-dependent’, meaning the primary oestrogen ‘oestradiol’ plays a crucial role in breast cancer development and progression.
Soy products appear to be protective against breast cancer due to phytoestrogens such as genistein, and their ability to act as oestrogen blockers.
Another way to block oestradiol is with anti-enzymes, like anti-aromatase–the enzyme that converts androgens such as testosterone to oestrogen–to prevent breast cancer from producing oestrogen in the first place.
Studies have shown that introducing soy milk to women, cut their circulating oestrogen levels in half¹ (increased levels are a marker for high breast cancer risk) and this superhero ability from the slinky old soybean may help explain why Chinese and Japanese women have such low rates of breast cancer. Good news for the boys too, soy consumption is linked to a reduced risk of prostate cancer by lowering circulating female hormones without affecting testosterone levels.²
Soy milk has been shown in a review of studies to be the best nutritional alternative to cow’s milk in the human diet.³
Oat, Almond, and Coconut: The Contenders
Oat milk is a great one to add to your overnight oats (hint: it tastes just like the oats you’re eating—wild, right?). It’s also great in cooked porridge and smoothies and packs more fibre than most plant milks, including Beta Glucan, which forms a gel-like substance in your gut to bind cholesterol and reduce its absorption.
Always watch out for added oils, gums, emulsifiers, and other unnecessary extras in plant milk.
Almond milk is great for smoothies and, for some, tea, however, it's quite watery and doesn’t quite cut it as a stand-in for the creamy consistency of moo juice. Plus, the process of making it strips away most of the nut’s health benefits. However, if you can find a good brand that uses a high % of nuts and doesn’t add a heap of oils into the mix, you’ll find a good source of vitamin E and healthy fats. Easy to make yourself!
Coconut milk is definitely gaining popularity as an udderly acceptable cow’s milk replacement and has many uses in both sweet and savoury recipes. Commonly found in Thai, Indian and South East Asian cooking, this creamy, nutty milk is a versatile dairy-free alternative.
A good rule of thumb is that the fewer ingredients, the better!
Or better yet, make your own! See our easy recipe below. You can use any nuts, seeds etc you prefer.
Cashew nuts are always a winner for homemade plant milk, as there’s no straining required through a nut bag. This means the nuts blend entirely into the water, retaining all of the fibre and nutrients like magnesium, iron, zinc, potassium and phosphorus.
DIY Cashew Milk:
Ø Simply soak the cashews for at least 2 hours
Ø Drain and blend with fresh water
Ø If desired, add in a little flavour of choice like vanilla extract, cinnamon, etc
Ø Keeps in the fridge for up to 4 days
Tah-dah... your very own cashewy milk that’s rich in fibre, heart-healthy fats and good for your gut!