Which type of milk is best for you?
Content based on Jonathan J. O’Sullivan and Grace E. Cunningham: Which type of milk is best for you? | TED Talk
The video explores the different types of milk and analyse which one is the best fit for people based on their impact on the environment and nutritional content.
There are many products of milk, like dairy milk produced by cows, and plant-based milk made with almonds, oats or soy. An average glass of milk contains about 10% of protein, carbohydrates and fats that you need every day. Plant-based milk tends to have less carbohydrates and good fats, while almonds and oats are also low in protein. Moreover, plant-based milk doesn’t have the vitamin D and calcium that naturally exists in dairy milk.
As you can see, dairy milk is the most efficient way to get nutrients. However, if you are lactose intolerant, plant-based milk is your best choice; while if you are allergic to nuts, almond milk is out.
Undoubtedly, all of them are nutritious enough. However, as the video mentioned, “the milk best for you is the milk best for the planet”, we should take care of our environment. When taking the planet’s well-being into consideration, cow milk is clearly not the best option. Not only does it require a lot more land for production, but it is also releasing almost 5 times more of greenhouse gases as cows burp and fart.
It takes 4 square kilometers to produce a glass of cow milk. Cows eat soybean and oat, which needs land to plant them in order to make soybean and oat milk, thus leading to deforestation. Moreover, making a glass of dairy milk uses a surprising amount of water: 120 L. Making almond milk also needs 70 L of water per glass, as almond trees need to be watered consistently for years; while an average glass of soy and oats milk only needs 5 to 10 L of water.
In addition, making a glass of plant-based milk releases 0.1 to 0.2 kg of greenhouse gases. However, when cows burp or fart, methane (a type of greenhouse gases) is released, leading to 0.5 kg of greenhouse gases produced when making a glass of dairy milk.
To conclude, dairy milk is the most nutritious. However, when considering our planet, dairy milk produced by cows is less environmental-friendly, while oat and soy milk are eco-friendly.
Did some cattleman once say, “Oh, man, I can’t wait till them calves are done so I can get ME a hit of that stuff.’” — Jerry Seinfeld