Cow's milk VS. soy milk VS. almond milk= which is best in providing the most nutrients?

Jenilee,

I'm a big fan of Smart Balance brand products. Their products are fortified with vitamins and minerals and Omega fatty acids, all in good proportions. That's not a recommendation, however.

In regards to your question, it's hard to find any soy or almond milk these days that isn't relatively simple (ingredient-wise). There is such a thing called the GOMAD diet, or Gallon Of Milk A Day. I've seen this diet used a lot with bodybuilders who are looking to gain mass. Whole milk contains a ton of nutrients, as well as plenty of calcium, carbohydrates, and protein. I think the worst part of cow's milk is the fat content.

Soy milk, I'm on the fence about... You'll find a lot of evidence that soy isn't as good for you as it's said to be, but you'll also find a lot of evidence that soy is great for you. I can tell you that soy protein is a complete protein, meaning it contains all the essential amino acids that your body needs. The same is true for cow's milk. The complete protein in cow's milk is mostly in the form of casein, which is slow-absorbing protein. An example of a fast-absorbing protein would be whey protein, which is also derived from dairy.

Almond milk, like soy milk, has less cholesterol than dairy milk. I've found a great article for you that I view as being legitimate. This article discusses a few pro's and con's for soy vs. almond milk. It's short, and I think you'll be the better for reading it. http://almondmilkbenefits.org/almond-milk-vs-soy-milk/

I've also got a great link for dairy milk for you.
http://www.dairycouncilofca.org/Milk-Dairy/Nutrients-in-Milk.aspx

Do keep in mind, however, these should not be your only sources, and be aware of the fact that there are MANY different versions of milk products out there. Almond milk can come sweetened, so can soy milk. I think that a safe way to go about choosing a milk would be to check the label and educate yourself about the nutritional information for different brands and varieties of these products. In general, I try to look for milk that is fortified, and I stay low to zero on fat content. However, this is a personal choice.

The key to choosing a good milk product would probably be to start by evaluating your daily dietary intake, and then see where different milk products fit into that diet. What fills the gaps in your overall nutrition? You should also consider any allergies that you may have, as any one of these products could cause a reaction depending on your health history.

You should consult a registered dietitian on this for your best answer.

I hope that I've left you with a little more knowledge on the topic! I'm looking forward to reading what others will post on this! Great question.

Of the three milks, I would choose almond milk. Cow's milk should be consumed by baby cows. It contains 20% of it's calories from protein as compared to human breast milk -- only 5%. Excess protein (more than about 30-40 grams/day) has bee shown to contribute to cancer, inflammation, osteoporosis, and many other health conditions. Packaged with cholesterol and fat and other chemicals and additives, cow's milk is not a human food. Soy is extremely controversial. My advice is to shy away from soy because it contains phyto-estrogens which can mimic human estrogen. Surges in estrogen can drive breast cancer. Even organic soy is likely to be GMO modified. Choose almond, oat, hemp, and coconut milk instead. Just remember... all milks are processed foods. Limit your consumption!

Do we need cows milk? I think after a certain age humans can get all of their necessary nutrients without it.

ALSO: As personal trainers we need to remain within our scope of practice when giving out nutritional advice.

Marlan's and Diane's answers are excellent. I do not agree with Peggy. Cow's milk, in my opinion, is a fine food. Just use 0% or 1% fat products to keep the intake of saturated fats to a minimum. The other products tend to be expensive and most are also loaded with sugar. So, as Marlan suggested, read the label to see where sugar shows up in the ingredients list. Three 8oz. glasses a day provides a wide spectrum of essential nutrients.

I ran across this on the Yahoo ticker thing today. It's an article about milks. I thought it would add to this topic.

http://health.yahoo.net/rodale/WH/milk-minus-the-cow

Unless you have issues with dairy I would recommend RAW, ORGANIC, WHOLE MILK. It is the most nutritious.

what about coconut milk?

Cow's milk has been studied extensively and it consistently comes out near the top among healthy foods in the human diet. Milk consumption is strongly recommended in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for this very reason.

Interestingly, much of the research that has targeted milk has done so in an attempt to assess whether it is associated with *adverse* outcomes due to high saturated fat content. However - and consistent with a great deal of research showing that saturated fat is perfectly healthy in reasonable quantities for the vast majority of the population - research has not only not shown *risk* but it consistently shows a *benefit* to the consumption of fluid cow's milk. These benefits pretty consistently include reduced rates of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Note, too, that these benefits are consistent across fat-content levels: low-fat milk is not associated with better outcomes than high-fat milk in large epidemiological studies.

Thus, I would strongly counter those arguing that cow's milk is not appropriate for humans. This belief runs strong in some people but is simply not backed up by research. Consuming almond or soy milk is fine if you are lactose intolerant. However, in most people, lactose is metabolized more readily and with fewer by-products in the liver than the sucrose or HFCS used to sweeten almond or soy milk. Also, the lack of healthy fats in these drinks is troubling as well; the fats found in milk buffer the uptake of sugar and reduce the spike in blood glucose.

If you want to prove this to yourself rather than taking someone's word for it, simply get a glucose meter and run an experiment. First, fast for at least 3 hours. Next, drink a large glass of typical (sweetened, low-fat) soy milk. Wait 30 minutes and take a reading. Now do the same with an equal-sized glass of full-fat milk. The difference will amaze you: full-fat milk has a much, much lower glucose spike.

I'd just like to point out that cow's milk appears so heavily on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans because of the strong lobbying power that the Milk Marketing Board holds over the FDA/USDA.