Many people have an opinion on what kind of milk is the best tasting or most beneficial for their health. Meanwhile, with endless options, there are those who feel a bit clueless as to which milk is best.  Skim milk versus whole milk. Organic versus non-organic. Processed pasteurized versus raw. Even the dairy cow’s diet comes into play: grass-fed or grain fed? Not to mention the non-dairy alternative milks: soy, coconut, almond, cashew, hemp, hazelnut, rice, flax, and oat milks. Overwhelmed yet? If you are, or even if you just aren’t sure why you have always bought the same kind of milk, this post is for you!
 
Let’s break down the more common kinds of cow dairy milk in this post. The conventional milk, found in all grocery stores, is non-organic, pasteurized, and the cows are fed a diet of grains, corn, and soy. This milk is sold as whole fat, 2% fat, 1% fat, and skim or 0% fat. Some grocery stores offer organic milk, which can either be pasteurized or raw, grain-fed or grass-fed, and also comes in a variety of fat content. Raw milk sounds the most pure, but it might be organic or it might not be. It might be from grass-fed cows, but it might be from grain fed cows. here are still states where raw-milk sales, for human consumption is illegal. An updated list can be found here.  Most of this information can be found on the label or by asking the farmer, but what does it all mean?
 
The pros and cons of the different qualities that make up dairy milk:

​Health Implications
 
Bone Health - Milk and other dairy products have been known to be beneficial for bone health due to the high amounts of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, protein and vitamin D, which are essential for bone health. At the same time, milk has high levels of retinol, or vitamin A, which can weaken bones.
 
Dairy is not the best or only source of calcium. Dark leafy greens, such as collards, boy choy, fortified soy milk, baked beans, and supplements with both calcium and vitamin D are also good choices.
 
Vitamin D - Processed dairy in the US is fortified with 100 IU vitamin D per glass. This follows the USDA recommendation of 3 glasses of fortified milk provides 300 IU of the recommended 800 IU+ per day. With that being said, processed US milk is fortified with vitamin D2, a form that the body does not utilize as well as D3. Regardless, dairy alone is not enough to meet daily vitamin D requirements. A 3.5 oz serving of Wild salmon contains 360 IU vitamin D. Canned tuna and sardines are also good food sources.  Sun exposure and supplements are great sources, as well.
 
Chronic Disease - Dairy is high in protein and is therefore very satiating, which may help those trying to control their appetite for weight loss. Lactose, the sugar found in milk, is broken down slowly and does not promote high spikes in blood sugar, which may make it a suitable option for diabetics.  Fermented dairy, such as yogurt and kefir are excellent sources of “good” bacteria that have been shown to promote a healthy gut.
 
With the good comes the bad. Consuming animal protein and dairy may promote prostate and ovarian cancer. Studies have shown that reducing animal products can reverse other chronic diseases like heart disease and diabetes.
 
The enzyme lactase is needed in the body to break down lactose for proper milk digestion.  30 to 50 million American adults, are lactose intolerant. Ninety five percent of Asians, up to 80% of African Americans, Hispanics, and Ashkenazi Jews, and nearly 100% of American Indians are lactose intolerant. Continued consumption of lactose in those who are intolerant and have symptoms of diarrhea or loose stools may suffer vitamin and mineral deficiencies or other long-term health implications.

Stay tuned for next week’s post, when I take a look at the different types of nut milks and how they compare to cow dairy milk.

Resources:
 
MyPyramid.gov – Inside The Pyramid – How much food from the milk group is needed daily? February 3, 2011. Available at: http://www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/milk_amount.aspx#.
 
FAQ – Dairy. The Weston A. Price Foundation. Available at: http://www.westonaprice.org/faq/784-faq-dairy?qh=YTo5OntpOjA7czozOiJyYXciO2k6MTtzOjc6InJhd25lc3MiO2k6MjtzOjQ6Im1pbGsiO2k6MztzOjc6Im1pbGtpbmciO2k6NDtzOjU6Im1pbGtzIjtpOjU7czo2OiJtaWxrZWQiO2k6NjtzOjg6Im1pbGtpbmdzIjtpOjc7czo2OiInbWlsayciO2k6ODtzOjg6InJhdyBtaWxrIjt9.
 
The New Four Food Groups. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. Available at: http://www.pcrm.org/health/veginfo/vsk/4foodgroups.pdf.
 
Release No. 0059.10. United States Department of Agriculture. February 10, 2010. Available at: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentidonly=true&contentid=2010/02/0059.xml.
 
Why Does Organic Milk Last So Much Longer Than Regular Milk? Scientific American. June 6, 2008. Available at: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=experts-organic-milk-lasts-longer.

The Dangers of Raw Milk: Unpasteurized Milk Can Pose a Serious Health Risk US Food and Drug Administration. May 5, 2011. Available at: http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm079516.htm 

Calcium and Milk – Wha’s Best for Your Bones and Health? The Nutrition Source. Harvard School of Public Health. Available at: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/calcium-full-story/index.html.
 
Dhiman, T. R., G. R. Anand, et al. Conjugated Linoleic Acid Content of Milk from Cows Fed Different Diets. 1999. J Dairy Sci 82(10): 2146-56. Available at: http://www.journalofdairyscience.org/article/S0022-0302%2899%2975458-5/abstract.
 
Vitamin D and Chronic Disease – Your Nutrition Questions Answered. The Nutrition Source. Harvard School of Public Health. Available at: http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/questions/vitamin-d-and-chronic-disease/.
 
Lactose Intolerance: Information for Health Care Providers. National Institutes of Health. January 2006. Available at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/publications/pubs/upload/NICHD_MM_Lactose_FS.pdf.
 
Mitigating the Greenhouse Gas Balance of Ruminant Production Systems Through Carbon Sequestration in Grasslands. Food and Agriculture Organization. Vol 11-2010; p 121. Available at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/013/i1880e/i1880e05.pdf.
 
Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Dairy Sector: A Life Cycle Assessment. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2010. Available at: http://www.fao.org/docrep/012/k7930e/k7930e00.pdf.  

​Drinking bottled water is so convenient: it is easy to grab and go, it can be found just about everywhere, it can be a way to keep track of how much you drink each day, and it tastes clean and delicious. With so many great reasons to reach for that bottle, it is easy to forget the serious reasons to actually stay away from it. Not only does bottled water have serious environmental implications, it can also have a negative impact on your health.
 
Six reasons to avoid buying and drinking bottled water:

1. Buying bottled water is expensive! Really expensive! On average, tap water costs about 0.0015 per gallon. Breaking down the cost of a water filter, the price increases to about .31 per gallon. Bottled water ranges in price from .89-8.26 per gallon. The price difference is relative to the amount of water being purchased. When comparing these prices to tap water, bottled water is a huge market. Annually, American’s spend 61 billion dollars on bottled water, which equals 8.6 billion gallons of water per year.

2. It comes in the lowest quality plastic bottles. More and more people are becoming aware of the toxins in plastic. So much so, that most food containers are now being made BPA free, yet people don’t seem to make the connection to plastic water bottles.  Aside from the aforementioned BPA, there are approximately 24,000 other dangerous chemicals in plastic that should be avoided.  Companies that bottle water want to spend their money on bottling water, advertising, and paychecks. They don’t want to “waste” money on improving the quality of the plastic used to make the bottles. Unfortunately, time and temperature play a role in how much of these chemicals leech into the actual water. There is no telling how long bottled water sits in hot storage areas and delivery trucks. Even just leaving a bottle of water in a hot car for a few hours can lead to high amounts of endocrine disrupting chemicals in each sip. (More on endocrine disruptors later.)  In general, glass and stainless steel are always better options.

3. Lower quality than tap water. Forty percent of bottled water comes from municipal water sources. In other words, it is tap water. With that being said, tap water is closely monitored for quality within each municipality that pulls from that water source. Bottled water, which is owned by private companies, is tested for quality privately and at much lower standards. Even more unreliable, bottled water companies are not required to release their findings. Independent researchers have looked into what is in bottled water. 38 different contaminants were consistently found, such as bacteria, cancer causing agents, fertilizer, pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals, caffeine, heavy metals, and radioactive isotopes. These chemicals are also found in the low quality plastics used for the bottles, and are known endocrine disruptors. The endocrine system is responsible for many hormones and chemicals that help different parts of the body communicate. When these hormones are out of balance or blocked, which can happen when endocrine disruptors enter the body, myriad health issues can ensue, including fertility issues, reproductive system diseases, different types of cancer, as well as pregnancy complications.

4. Bottling water uses a ton of resources. It takes 17 million barrels of oil per year just to make the plastic bottles. Bottling 20 ounces uses 60 ounces of water. After the plastic bottles have been made and filled, they have to be shipped all over the country, as well as internationally. This uses even more oil and resources.
​
5. Creates more waste.  Only 1 in 5 plastic bottles are actually recycled. Most end up in the landfills, where it takes 10,000 years to be broken down. The bottles that are recycled use additional resources for the recycling process and create lower quality plastic out of already low quality material. Cardboard and aluminum have the most success in the recycling process but when dealing with plastic, reducing is superior to recycling.

6. Bottling water takes water from others. Privately owned water bottling companies don’t have to share where their water actually comes from. They make consumers think water is coming from natural springs and aquifers that aren’t needed by those who live in the area. There are a number of companies that bottle water found in California, which has been in a major drought for years. Large companies, such as Nestle, mine water from small towns. There is nothing different about this water than what comes out of the taps of those who live in that area.  


How to avoid buying bottled water:

1. Invest in a good quality water filter and reusable water bottles.
2. Plan ahead so you don’t find yourself out for the day without any water.
3. Reinforce your bottled water knowledge by watching “Tapped”.

 

Resources:
Endocrine Disruptors. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2017, from https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/endocrine/index.cfm
Harmful Chemicals Found in Bottled Water. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2017, from http://www.ewg.org/news/news-releases/2008/10/15/harmful-chemicals-found-bottled-water
Nestle continues to sell bottled water sourced from California despite record drought — RT America. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2017, from https://www.rt.com/usa/172764-nestle-california-bottling-plant/
The True Ingredients of Bottled Water | Ban the Bottle. (n.d.). Retrieved September 30, 2017, from https://www.banthebottle.net/articles/the-true-ingredients-of-bottled-water/
Tran, rew B., & Staff, A. C. / G. (n.d.). Where does bottled water come from? Retrieved October 2, 2017, from http://www.boston.com/yourtown/specials/water/bottled_water_sources/
wpadmin. (2014, March 6). Bottled Water Pros and Cons. Retrieved September 30, 2017, from https://healthresearchfunding.org/bottled-water-pros-cons/
​