Soy Milk vs. Cow Milk

I recently read the book, “The New Wellness Revolution” by Paul Zane Pilzer. It’s a very good book that speaks to our current and future wellness / healthcare system and potential opportunities that exist for entrepreneurs looking to get into the wellness industry.
In Chapter 3, “What You Need to Know about Food and Diet”, Mr. Pilzer promotes drinking soy milk instead of cow milk. The reasons gave me pause to drinking cow’s milk.

My wife has been trying to convince me to drink soy milk since we were married (3 years now) and I’ve always resisted. However, I read Mr. Pilzer’s book and I haven't had cow's milk since. I’ve tried drinking soy milk, but still can’t get use to the taste. I only used cow’s milk in my cereal, hot chocolate, pancakes and oatmeal.

Now if you like cow’s milk, I suggest you stop reading right here. According to the book, the following are true about cow’s milk:

Milk causes osteoporosis, despite advertising that states milk prevents it.
Milk contains hormones and carries infectious diseases. A normal cow produces about 10 pounds of milk per day. However, dairy cows produce up to 100 pounds of milk per day because of the massive amount of specialized hormones such as bovine growth hormone (BGH) given to the cows. This makes the cows udders so large that they drag on the floor which creates frequent infections and the need for constant antibiotics.
The USDA allows cow milk for consumption to have 1 to 1.5 million white blood cells (which is pus!) per milliliter.
The growth hormones given to cows are a major cause of breast cancer in adults because the hormones act the same as it does in the cows. The hormones cause malignant tumors in the human breast to grow just like in the cows.
Despite the fact that numerous consumer groups have asked the FDA to ban BGH and other hormones, the FDA continues to allow the use because of powerful ADA lobbyists in Washington DC.
Cows contaminate the environment. For every 100 pounds of cow milk produced per day, a cow produces 120 pounds per day of waste which is equivalent to the waste of 24 people.
Dairy products are the major cause to 65 percent of the American population being overweight.
Milk accounts for 40 percent of the 4 pound of food an average American eats daily; however, it contains no fiber, and is filled with saturated fat and cholesterol.
A glass of milk is 49 percent fat and the lower fat milk (like 2% milk) is only slightly lower in fat.

The book recommends switching to soy milk which has the following benefits:

Soy is the best low fat source of carbohydrates, fibers, protein, vitamins and minerals.
Soy can help to prevent diseases such as osteoporosis, heart disease and cancer.
Soy is high in calcium and does not contain casein proteins which cause calcium loss in bones.
Soy reduces the frequency and intensity of hot flashes in menopausal women which is similar to estrogen-replacement therapy.
The American Heart Association endorses soy to help consumers lower their (bad) cholesterol and reduce risk for heart disease.
Soy contains more protein per weight than beef, fish, and chicken with no cholesterol and very little saturated fat.
Of the 9 basic amino acids needed for the body that can’t be produced by the body, soy provides all 9, however, without the hormones, saturated fat and calories (as with cow milk and meat products).

So there you have it. It seems there are many advantages to switching to soy milk and other soy products. However, I’m sure if you research any animal product, there are always hormones used to process the product. Additionally, I’m also sure many chemical and pesticides are used to grow fruits and vegetables. It’s really up to us the consumer to really educate ourselves when it comes to our diet.

Reference: The New Wellness Revolution by Paul Zane Pilzer

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Comments

I am sorry but hemp milk is disgusting cant stand the stuff, soy milk may not be as good for you but at least it tastes good.

Posted by: james | December 24, 2010 1:58 AM

My personal opinion, Soy is better. Asian for example the veg intake daily most are soy and very healthy and live longer. the monks for ex. Cow-milk must be safe to sell in the us anyway, must pass all the req. cow or soy's your choice.

Posted by: ken | September 19, 2010 3:36 AM

Jonathan, Because Mr. Pilzer has made it his life's work to improve the economic competitiveness of every individual. The ability to accumulate and maintain wealth is a direct result of the condition of a person's health. Mr. Pilzer backs up every statement with references. He was also spending 30 to 40 thousand dollars per year in 1990 on his own personal fitness. Way before it became chic. This guy knows what he is talking about and has been proven right for the last 20 years. He has a track record for accuracy and knows nutrition better than most health nuts. He is also 56 years old and looks like he is 30. He has the 'fruit on the tree' as he practices what he preaches.

Posted by: Frank Carney | March 3, 2010 2:23 AM

So is soymilk unhealthy or is cow milk unhealthy????

Posted by: Jonathan | February 13, 2008 8:22 PM

"Milk causes osteoporosis"? Come on. Why in the world would anyone consider health advice from an economist and businessman as MR (not Dr.) Zane is? Might as well ask a doctor to help install your next computer's operating system. These quotes from Zane's book are blanket statements. As another example, the growth hormone given to cows does not attain the same results in humans. Why? Because the milk passes through our digestive juices which largely destroy the hormone. The lesson here? Do your own reseach from competent sources and don't just accept anything as fact because someone has called it that. Who am I? I'm a biologist, nutritionist and a soy milk drinker.

Posted by: RP | December 14, 2007 5:56 PM

There seems to be 2 sides to every claim. Check out the link to the story of this young lady that consumed a lot of soy products and the medical problems she claimed it caused her. http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/soya.asp

Posted by: Patrick | June 12, 2007 10:13 PM

because of the estrogen-mimicing parts of soy, it is linked an increased breast cancer risk and problems with estrogen levels in boys.

Posted by: sunny | June 12, 2007 9:58 PM

Drink Hemp Milk. Much better tasting then Soy! And much better for men and pre-menopausal women.

Posted by: Alberts | June 12, 2007 9:14 PM

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