Dairy Gives You the Willies But Is Soy Milk a Safe Alternative?

You don't have to be a die hard vegan to realize the problems associated with dairy. As Mickey wrote, milk production is a nightmare for cows. He said that according to GoVeg:

"The 9 million cows living on dairy farms in the United States spend most of their lives in large sheds or on feces-caked mud lots, where disease is rampant. Cows raised for their milk are repeatedly impregnated. Their babies are taken away so that humans can drink the milk intended for the calves. When their exhausted bodies can no longer provide enough milk, they are sent to slaughter and ground up for hamburgers."

It becomes more and more difficult to justify milk and many other dairy products with this sort of information at hand. And drinking milk becomes even more frivolous when you take into account all of the tasty and healthy substitutes available today. As soy is by far the most available non-dairy substitute, I decided to take a closer look at the good, the bad, and the green.

Should I Drink Soy Milk?

The Good Soy Health Claims

Soy has been associated with several positive health claims. According to the FDA, "Diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol that include 25 grams of soy protein a day may reduce the risk of heart disease." More specifically, four daily servings of soy can reduce LDL, or bad cholesterol, by 10 percent. However, that seems like quite a bit of soy. Additionally, soy milk is also fortified with Vitamin D like cow's milk. In fact, just one cup has 35 percent of your daily allowance of the essential mineral. And Vitamin D is crucial for a body to function in a healthy manner. I wrote last week that Vitamin D deficiencies are linked to a host of chronic diseases, including type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, osteoporosis, breast cancer, colon cancer, and ovarian cancer.

The Bad Soy Health Claims

Soy milk has been shrouded in controversy for several years. The controversy stems from the fact that the phytoestrogens found in soy, function similar to the way estrogen functions. There is evidence that says that these phytoestrogens can cause an increased risk of breast cancer as well as some issues with infertility. Read about the specific myths and truths here. Take into account that much of this research is ongoing and yet inconclusive. In my humble opinion, like everything else in life, use in moderation. If you're a vegetarian or vegan don't allow soy to be your sole source of nutrients.

Is Soy Milk Green?

It's important to ensure that you buy organic soy milk that's not genetically modified. Unfortunately, that's not as easy as it used to be. This is a result of the fact that it has become more difficult and expensive for soy milk producers to use organic soy beans in their milk. For example, massive soy milk manufacturer, Silk shifted away from producing all organic products and started using conventional soy beans to save cash. In fact, today 9 out of 10 soy bean seeds carry Monsanto's genetically modified Round Up Ready trait. These genetically modified seeds are immunized against Roundup, the mega herbicide produced by, wait for it, Monsanto. Farmers can then readily apply Roundup to kill everything but the immunized seeds. Not so tasty (or healthy) in your soy milk and not to mention that these GMO seeds are polluting ground water and ruining soil. However, glossy advertising often does a great job of confusing consumers when it comes to the differences between "all natural" and organic. Just look closely for that USDA organic label and you know that it's certified.