The drink with 21X less greenhouse gasses

So you’re interested in looking into your drinking habits are you? No I’m not talking about alcohol, but rather the most common grocery product, milk. 60% of Americans choose dairy-milk which is not only consumed on its own but also in everyday products like bread, cereal, chips & sauces. Let’s trace the journey of this “elixir of life” to understand if its widespread presence still holds up in today’s world.

In today’s issue:

• Health: From necessary to diseases, pesticides & acne

• Feature Story: How to choose a milk-alternative?

• Early Adopters: Peas & Oats, the tiniest of milk products

HEALTH

From necessary to diseases, pesticides & acne

Dairy has been a fundamental part of the human diet for over 8,000 years. This nutritious, calorie-dense drink has been present throughout human history to improve food security and reduce infant mortality. Today there are 2 populations that can digest dairy: children under the age of 7 & those whose ancestors regularly consumed dairy.

The introduction of dairy didn’t come without any health risks though. As people began working more closely with dairy animals, they were exposed to new diseases like measles, smallpox & tuberculosis which still persist today.

The rising demand for dairy also brought health concerns that are intertwined with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). GMOs are plants or animals that humans have genetically altered to have more desirable traits. For example, dairy cattle have been selectively bred to produce 10X more milk/day than is needed to feed her calf. However the technological advancements in cattle feed (corn and soybean) pose a larger concern. In 1996, corn and soybean were bioengineered to tolerate glyphosate (Round-Up), the herbicide farmers use to reduce weeds. As a result, pests and weeds evolved to also tolerate glyphosate forcing farmers to apply more harmful chemicals.

There are also health problems that naturally occur from humans drinking what is meant for a calf. People who are not lactose intolerant can still experience chronic inflammation, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) & hormone imbalances from regularly drinking dairy-milk. In fact, one study found that drinking Skim milk was correlated to a 24% increase in acne, specifically from IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1). This growth hormone helps calves grow big and strong, but for humans can leave your face looking like spots on a cow.

If you are a bit concerned about milk, you’re not alone. Some of these concerns are commonly overlooked due to dairy-milks nutrients. 1 cup (8 fl. oz.) of dairy-milk provides:

• Macro-nutrients

  • 100 - 150 Calories

  • 0 - 8g of Fat

  • 8g of Protein

  • 12g of Carbs

• Micro-nutrients

  • Vitamin D (15% DV)

  • Calcium (25% DV)

  • Vitamin A (10% DV)

  • Vitamin B12 (50% DV)

While dairy-milk naturally contains micro-nutrients, they are all added (fortified) after raw milk has been produced. Despite what the “Got Milk?” campaign may suggest, the high calcium content of dairy-milk is actually a result of added ingredients not from dairy-milk itself.

PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

Thanks for tuning in to learn about small changes that make a big difference. That being said, consider professional advice (not me) when changing your lifestyle.

FEATURE STORY

How to choose a milk-alternative?

Today, there are 7 milk-alternatives in the market; Almond, Cashew, Coconut, Oat, Pea Protein, Rice & Soy. Each offers advantages and disadvantages compared to the 5 dairy options; Whole, 2%, 1%, Skim & Lactose-Free. Lets explore how these 12 milks stack up against each other to understand what milk industry you want to fund.

To start, lets understand how much each type of milk is consumed in the US. Although milk-alternatives have become more popular in recent years, they only made up 9% of the total milk consumption in 2023.

Will I get the same nutrition in a milk-alternative compared to dairy-milk?

Each type of milk, whether dairy or plant-based, adds varying amounts of micronutrients, carbs & fats that contribute to its unique taste and texture. While it’s true that 85% of the milk-alternatives have lower nutrient levels compared to dairy, this isn’t necessarily a drawback. In a time when obesity is a greater concern than food scarcity, these milk-alternatives offer a healthy option for many.

Calories:

All 7 milk-alternatives have less calories than Whole & 2% Milk. 5 of which (Almond, Cashew, Coconut, Pea Protein & Soy) have under 100 calories per 8 fl. oz.

Protein:

Only 2 option can match dairy-milk when it comes to protein at 8g per 8 fl. oz; Soy & Pea Protein. With the exception of Oat (4g protein per 8 fl. oz), the remaining 4 milk-alternatives (Almond, Cashew, Coconut & Rice) have only 1g of protein per 8 fl. oz.

While factors like feeling full (protein) and staying energized (calories) are key for many, its worth evaluating the nutrients of each milk option to find the best fit for your diet.

Will I miss the taste of dairy-milk?

The dairy-milk flavor is creamy with a thick texture due to its high fat content. If you’re drawn to milk for its taste, you may like Oat, Soy & Pea Protein milk which replicate a similar taste and texture to Whole & 2% milk. The remaining 4 milk-alternatives (Almond, Cashew, Coconut & Rice) have a similar taste and texture to 1% & Skim milk.

How do you milk an almond?

As funny as this AI generated image may be, thats not actually how Almond milk is produced. While each milk-alternative has it’s own specialized processing methods and equipment, the production process shares similarities across milk-alternatives but differs slightly from that of dairy-milk.

Milk-Alternatives:

After a crop (i.e. almonds, oats, soy, etc.) has been harvested, dried, and collected, it is transported to a processing facility. The raw ingredients are cleaned and ground before soaked in water where nutrients are extracted into the water. The liquid is then separated from the solids before getting pasteurized and packaged. Products can then be transported at room temperature to your favorite grocery store.

Dairy Milks:

Milk is pumped from dairy cows before getting transported to a dairy processing plant. This raw milk is filtered to remove foreign material and separated out by different levels of fat content to produce Whole, 2%, 1% & Skim milk. Lactose-Free milk undergoes a process of ultrafiltration in order to filter out the smaller lactose molecules. After ultrafiltration, milk fat is added back in to create the desired Whole, 2%, 1% & Skim milk profiles. In some cases, the excess milk fat is used to produce other dairy products like cream & butter. The milk is then pasteurized and graded before it gets transported on refrigerated trucks to your favorite grocery store.

Animal Welfare Concerns in the Dairy Industry:

• Calves of dairy cows are separated from their mothers within 24 hours, so more milk can be collected for human consumption.

• Dairy cows must give birth in order to produce milk, but not all calves are females. Male calves are raised for 4 months before becoming veal, a by-product of the dairy industry.

• Cattle don’t naturally eat corn and soybean, which makes up the bulk of their feed for non-pasture raised cattle.

EARLY ADOPTERS

Early adopters are choosing milk-alternatives from grocery store shelves. So much so that the milk-alternative industry saw a 10% growth in sales in 2023 compared to 2022. While the dairy industry may create concerns related to health, farming practices & animal welfare, early adopters want to ensure their milk replacement uses resources efficiently.

Which milks use resources the most efficiently?

For comparison lets start with the most inefficient use of resources; dairy-milk. To produce 1 gallon of dairy-milk, regardless of type, you need:

• 1,000 gallons of water

• 1,000 sq. ft. of land

• 9.7 lb. of greenhouse gases

In comparison, to produce 1 gallon of a milk-alternative you need:

If you switched from dairy-milk to a milk-alternative you would:

1. Use 35% less water

2. Use 10X less land

3. Use 7X less greenhouse gases

These comparisons are based on the 2023 Consumption of milk-alternatives, which has a larger consumption of Almond (44%), Soy (22%) & Oat (11%) milks.

A favorite when evaluating taste, health and the environment is Pea Protein milk. Not only does Pea Protein milk use the least amount of water, land and greenhouse gases of any milk-alternative, it also matches the taste and nutrients of dairy-milk. Ripple, a popular brand of Pea Protein milk, has brought such a milk to the thirsty milk market.

To motivate people to switch behaviors, a product often needs to be 10X better, and Pea Protein milk certainly achieves that. But with just 0.5% of the US milk market, Pea Protein milk is not widely available, especially in rural areas. If you can’t find Pea Protein milk near you, Oat milk is a great alternative. It efficiently uses resources while offering a taste comparable to dairy-milk.

TIGHT 5

• History: The first animals raised for dairy were sheep roughly 9,000 years ago in Turkey.

• Canada: produces 75% of the Oats & 35% of the Peas used for US milk-alternatives.

• Dairy-milk: 50% of production comes from just 4 states; California, Wisconsin, Texas & New York.

• California: is a leading producer of dairy-milk, Almond milk & Rice milk.

• Imported Milks: 100% of Cashew & Coconut milks are imported.