02/11/2022
Hum Indians ka din doodh k glass k sath shuru hota hai aur usi pe khatam. Our ancestors have been drinking milk for the longest time and have been keeping their health top class. But why are we not following their footsteps? What made us switch towards plant-based milk without proper know-how or research?
COW MILK IS A COMPLETE FOOD- CARBS, FAT, PROTEIN, everything is in the perfect amount. As a food item- It is nutritionally perfect. And very few food items can come close to it.
Soy milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, this milk, that milk, anything but real milk! Do we actually need to replace our usual cow milk with these alternatives?
We will not go knee deep in the argument of plant-based or vegan vs animal-based. We are only going to talk about nutrition.
We drink milk mainly for protein and calcium, right?
So, we did our fair share of research and went on comparing the most sold milk types in the market- Cow milk, soy milk and almond milk and found out that…..
1. PROTEIN- Protein in cow milk is 8 g per 250 ml. So, if we compare it with soy milk, it has just 6 g and if go to the latest fad i.e., almond milk, it has just 1 g protein! Also, do you know what Bioavailability is? It is the ability of a protein to be digested or absorbed easily by the body. Jitna protein intake ho raha hai, utna utilise bhi to hona chahiye na? Cow milk ka protein has the maximum bioavailability, more than any plant-based milk!
2. CALCIUM- Almond milk has 240 mg calcium; soy milk has 275 mg aur apne cow milk me? 300 mg calcium hota hai!
3. PRICE- Ab aata hai sabse important factor, price! Ap bataiye? Ap roz roz apni nutritional requirement fulfil karne k lie 220 Rs ka almond milk ya 110 Rs ka soy milk peene k liye ready hain? Jabki 50 rupees only me apko double nutritional benefits mil rahe hain! Ye to apne pairo pe kulhadi maarne vali baat hi hogai bhai.
IF COW MILK IS THE BEST, THEN WHY IS THE WORLD SWITCHING TO PLANT-BASED MILK?
It is because 68% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant! Simple words me- they are unable to digest milk and milk-based products properly. So, plant-based milk is for those people.
WHAT IS WRONG WITH PLANT-BASED MILK OTHER THAN LESS NUTRITION?
The argument does not just end on nutrition superiority of cow milk over other plant-based milks.
Plant-based milk have a lot of additives like emulsifiers, thickeners added to give the milk actual milk-like consistency. A specific compound called Carrageenan added to milk is known to destroy gut bacteria. So, always keep a watch on the ingredients section.
FUN FACT- 1 liter of almond milk contains just 3-5% almonds, the rest? WATER! Bhai kya hi nutrients honge isme? Isse acha 5 almonds hi khalo)
BOTTOMLINE
• If you have high cholesterol issues or you are lactose intolerant and are unable to digest lactose (milk sugar), opt for soy milk which is nutritionally better than other plant-based milks.
• Also, prefer buying milk from local dairy instead of the packaged one. It is minimally processed and preservative-free. More importantly, tetrapak vala milk is homogenised which means fat molecules are distributed evenly in it. These molecules can enter the bloodstream and damage your health,
