Milk vs Silk

Do you drink cows milk or a milk substitute like soy, rice, or almond milk? I ask because, Im not a big fan of milk or the idea of the origins of milk. As good as Half & Half tastes to me I decided to get away from it for a while and I started drinking soy milk. I was addicted to SILK for about a month! The vanilla flavored is awesome! Especially the extra creamy one. Then I started researching the benefits of soy milk vs. cows milk and I got some disturbing information.

Many milk substitutes (soy milk, rice milk, almond milk etc) contain an ingredient called Carageenan. Carageenan (pictured above) is a seaweed substance used in many milk and yogurt substitutes as a thickening agent. It makes things creamy and more rich. However, Carageenan is not a safe ingredient. Ive read that it has been known to cause severe stomach issues including tumors when it is consumed too much. It has also been known to cause instant stomach aches after ingesting it.

Its sad when you think youre doing the right thing for your body and you realize youre doing more harm than good. Ive also read that soy is not the best thing for women to ingest too much of.

Im writing this message to say be careful with the substitutes that you buy and do your research to make sure they have the right health benefits. Be sure to read the labels when buying milk substitutes because MOST soy milks, and milk substitutes that Ive encountered contain Carageenan in the ingredients.

The one soy milk that I know of that DOES NOT contain Carageenan is called “Eden Soy”..its a pretty good soy milk. It doesnt taste as good as silk…but it serves its purpose if you really cant deal with cow’s milk. I guess its the Carageenan making the other milk subs taste so great..and as good as it tastes, its definitely not worth the health risks.

With that said, I guess I will just stick to Bessie’s boob juice in my cereal. ugh! (hey thats a good name for a milk company Bessie’s Boob Juice………or not? *shrug*)

Sources:
Carageenan: Its use doesnt gel

Carageenan: A Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing

Nasty Food of the Month

Dangers of Carageenan