Which Kind of Milk Is Healthiest?
Milk does a body good according to the 1980s marketing campaign. A simple message, but the reality is more complex.…
Milk does a body good according to the 1980s marketing campaign. A simple message, but the reality is more complex. Certainly, there are lots of vitamins in this beverage. But today there’s a wide array of different types of milk with varied health benefits.
These replacement plant-based milk don’t always have the Vitamin D, Calcium, and potassium that is found in cow’s milk. While the taste could be unique, most Americans are missing out on these nutrients so replacing cow’s milk with plant-based milk, will be doing them a nutrition disservice.
“All ‘milk’ are not created equal,” says Lise Gloede, a registered dietitian based in Arlington, Virginia. “Nutritional differences are vast. Consider using plant-based milk (like soy milk) if you have allergies (or lactose intolerance), but keep in mind that your intake of protein and riboflavin will be less. These are important nutrients.”
The Importance of Calcium
One thing to keep in mind when deciding which milk is best for you is calcium content. Everyone needs calcium for bone health, according to the Mayo Clinic. Calcium helps build and maintain strong bones and also helps your heart, muscles, and nerves function optimally. Too little calcium carries health risks. Kids who don’t get enough calcium may not reach their full adult height, and adults may have low bone mass, which is a risk factor for osteoporosis, the Mayo Clinic says.
The recommended daily allowance of calcium varies by age and gender. From ages 19 to 70, men should get 1,000 milligrams of calcium, and 1,200 milligrams if they are 71 and older. Women between the ages of 19 and 50 should get 1,000 milligrams of calcium a day, and 1,200 if they are 51 and older.
Children need varying amounts of calcium depending on their age; infants less than 6 months old should get 200 milligrams daily, according to the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development within the National Institutes of Health. The amount rises with age, ranging from 700 milligrams daily for kids between ages 1 and 3 to 1,300 milligrams a day for adolescents between ages 14 and 18.
How Much Calcium Is in Milk?
Different types of milk contain varying levels of calcium. An 8-ounce cup of whole milk has 276 milligrams of calcium, while skim milk has 299 milligrams, says Michelle Dudash, a registered dietitian based in Carmel, Indiana, and the author of “Clean Eating for Busy Families.”
The same amount of unfortified soy milk has 61 milligrams of calcium, while one type of almond milk contains about the same amount. Most plant-based soy milk is fortified with calcium and contains 25% to 50% of the recommended daily allowance of calcium for adults, Dudash says.
Some plant-based milk isn’t as high in calcium, though. For example, calcium in unfortified cashew milk has only about 2% of the recommended daily value of the nutrient, she says.
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