What Is The Best Milk For You And The Planet?

"The milk that's best for you is actually the milk that's best for the planet."

That's a quote from the TEDed video shown above, discussing which milk is best for the body as well as the planet. One day, I was on YouTube and saw this video on the homepage. I decided to watch it and learned more about milk than I thought I ever would. A lot of materials and labor are used to produce enough milk for people. So, which one is the best for us and the earth?

I thought this video was very interesting and fitting for me. For the past four or five years, I've been using almond milk instead of dairy milk as I wanted to consume healthier products. I also wanted to do more research on the healthiest milk product for myself and the earth, and YouTube must've known. After watching this video, I learned so much about dairy, almond, soy, and oat milk as well as each product's impact on the environment.

Dairy Milk

Dairy milk is one of the most popular choices of milk in the United States. I used strictly dairy milk for most of my life until a few years ago. I knew there were other types of milk, but I never thought to try them. It was also because of YouTubers I watched every day that I considered branching out from dairy milk. 

The TEDed video above explains that one eight-ounce glass of dairy milk gives 8 grams of protein, 12 grams of carbohydrates, and 2-8 grams of fat depending on the specific types of dairy milk (i.e. skim, whole, reduced-fat, etc.). Dairy milk also has a plethora of Vitamin D and Calcium, which help bones grow stronger. So, dairy milk offers the human body many healthy ingredients.

However, producing an efficient amount of dairy milk requires a lot of cows and open fields for them to roam. According to the video, it takes almost 10 miles of land to make 1 glass of dairy milk. Because of this, deforestation and habitat destruction are prominent issues of today.

When it comes to water usage, making one glass of dairy milk requires almost 32 gallons. This is primarily for all of the cows and cow feeds on the dairy farms. Because many cows are needed to produce dairy milk, this can easily increase emissions of methane into the air. The result of this is emitting 1 pound of greenhouse gases (which are bad for the environment) into the air per 1 glass of dairy milk. 

Almond Milk

Plant-based milk, like almond milk, has fewer carbohydrates compared to dairy milk. Additionally, plant-based milk has fewer saturated fats and more of what's known as the "good" fats. Although almond milk is a great milk alternative for vegans or lactose-intolerant individuals, those with nut allergies must avoid this type of milk.

On the contrary, almond milk doesn't offer as much protein as dairy milk and doesn't naturally produce Vitamin C or Calcium. The video explains that almond milk has the least nutrients of these four types of milk. 

Almond tree farms require a small fraction of the land that is needed for dairy milk. Sadly, this is why producing almond milk requires around 18 gallons of water per glass. It's difficult to properly care for almond trees, so they must be watered frequently for years before even growing any almonds.

Soy Milk

Soy milk offers just as much protein as dairy milk. It is also a wonderful source of potassium, another health element the human body needs. Soy milk is also plant-based milk, which is perfect for vegans or lactose-intolerant individuals.

The video goes on to state that there used to be a myth people believed about soy milk. People used to think that because soy milk contains isoflavone, it would cause hormonal imbalances. However, that idea has been debunked as isoflavone has little effect on the human body.

Growing soybeans to produce soy milk only uses up 0.1 miles of land per glass compared to the almost 10 miles required for dairy milk. Unfortunately, soybean farms are also a leading cause of deforestation.

Fortunately, compared to both dairy and almond milk, only 1-3 gallons of water is needed to create 1 glass of soy milk. Plant-based milk, such as soy milk, only emits 0.2-0.3 pounds of greenhouse gases per 1 glass. 

Oat Milk

This type of milk is a great plant-based alternative for people who are lactose-intolerant, vegan, and/or have similar diets. Oat milk is full of beta-glucans, a type of healthy fiber. It also has a lot of carbohydrates, as much as dairy milk at times. Additionally, oat milk is rich in vitamins and minerals. Compared to dairy milk, oat milk is cholesterol-free, which is good for the heart.

Like soy milk, producing oat milk only uses 1-3 gallons of water per glass. When it comes to greenhouse gas emissions, oat milk farming also only emits very little emissions per glass. 

Which Milk is Best for the Body and Environment?

At the end of the video, the speaker declares that (technically) soy or oat milk is the best for both the body and the environment. They neither use up too much water nor emit many greenhouse gases. Furthermore, soy milk and oat milk contain less fat than popular dairy milk.

Now, just because these types of milk are the best in general, they may not be the best choices for your individual dietary needs.

If you're allergic to nuts, almond milk isn't the best alternative for you. Similarly, if you're lactose-intolerant, then dairy milk won't work well. Although people want to do take the best actions for their body and the environment, it can be difficult with a restricting diet.

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I think it's important to iterate that there is no shame in drinking any of these four types of milk products. Whether you prefer to drink dairy, almond, soy, or oat milk is your personal decision. As the video stated, all of these milk types work well with a healthy and balanced diet.

What matters is that we stay informed. I knew little information about milk before watching the TEDed video. Within five minutes, I became much more knowledgeable on the subject. Now, I know a bit about the nutritional values of each type of milk as well as how producing each type affects the environment.

Taking the initiative to learn, to be informed on interesting and surprisingly important subjects (like milk) is how people make positive progress in life. That's how we grow and become better. It's the best solution for taking the best care of our bodies and the planet.