The benefits and negatives of cows milk according to Nutritionist Lily Soutter…
The negatives of cow’s milk
“Cow’s milk isn’t harmful or bad for us in any way. It contains a range of vitamins and minerals, which support bone health including calcium, protein, vitamin B12 and the often forgotten, iodine.
Despite the vast amount of negative press, cows’ milk is not full of growth hormones – There has been a ban on injecting cows in the UK for many years.”
“The negatives associated with cow’s milk are often confused with an individual’s genetics and lifestyle.
If you’re lactose intolerant, a common digestive problem where the body is simply unable to digest lactose (a type of sugar mainly found in milk), then you will suffer from bloating and IBS-like symptoms.
As well as this, if you have a cows’ milk allergy you can suffer from a wide range of symptoms, including skin reactions, digestive problems and hay fever-like symptoms.”
“Many are concerned about the saturated fat content in milk. If you consume whole fat milk as well as many high-fat dairy products you could be consuming more than 20g of saturated fat a day – which could lead to high cholesterol levels and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
With this being said, if you don’t have a fatty diet, consuming full-fat milk can be a great way to reap in the added benefits including fat-soluble nutrients, vitamin D, and to some extent Vitamin A.”
The Truth about milk alternatives – Are they beneficial to our diets or just watery versions?
“They’re not harmful as long as you’re selecting the right ones. Watch out for added sugar and make sure they have the added vitamins and minerals. Some milks state that they have vitamins & minerals added.
Always check the labels, if Calcium, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D haven’t been added and you’re cutting these out, you could be at risk of developing deficiencies.
Iodine is often forgotten about, I have only come across one milk alternative, an oat milk from M&S, that has added iodine.”
What London’s Leading Nutritionist, Lily Soutter has…
“I switch between semi-skimmed cow’s milk and oat milk. Over the last two months, I have had solely oat milk because I have polycystic ovaries and often suffer with greasy skin and hair.
I wanted to cut back on my dairy intake to see what effect this has on my skin. Oat milk has the added benefit of Beta-glucan.
This is a type of fibre that helps to lower cholesterol levels. I also like oat milk for the taste, especially in my morning porridge.”