Recently a New York Times article weighed in on the different milk options available to us. So what is the best nutritional option for your children?
Dairy milk seems to come out in front as far as protein content and absorbable form of calcium. However, all the milk substitutes - Rice, Almond, Soy, Coconut, etc - contain 30% of the recommended daily intake (RDI) for calcium. However, this type of supplemental calcium may not be as absorbable as the calcium naturally occurring in dairy milk.
An important factor to consider if your family drinks dairy milk is to purchase milk that is organic or at the very least, derived from grass-fed cows. In the U.S. cows are given hormones and these hormones are present in the milk supplied. A number of studies have reported hormonal changes in girls and boys due to the hormones in the dairy cattle.
The dairy industry in Canada prohibits hormones from being given to cattle, however, their feed may contain many undesirable chemicals and be of poorer nutrition. What's more, cattle can be given antibiotics and all these substances will be passed on to the milk supply.
Dairy milk may also not be suitable for your child if s/he has an allergy to lactose or casein, both of which are found in milk. Also, pediatricians tend to advise against dairy milk form cattle if the child has any of the atopic triad conditions: asthma, eczema, allergies. Goat's milk or one of the milk substitutes (rice, almond, cashew etc) may be a more appropriate substitute. Best to speak with your child's physician regarding this.
Another note about the dairy industry is the climate impact from the methane gas released. Climate change has a big impact on global health and every consumer choice has a powerful impact. So try and support your local farmer and sustainable farming practices.
To our global health!
Here's the link to the NYTimes article for your reference: Which Milk is Most Nutritious: Soy, Cashew, Almond or Coconut?