FORUMS > Vitamins & Supplements Forum Rules

I'm somewhat lactose intolerant and have recently read that Soy Milk has estrogen which could be bad for men if taken too much. This is probably the third or fourth time I have read/heard about this so I think there is some truth to it. I'm going to reduce the amount of Soy Milk I consume but I wanted to find out if there are other things which have relatively the same benefit as cow milk. Thanks for any input!

Soy Milk

Negative health effects

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soy_milk

However, the soy industry has also received similar criticism for reasons including:

A new study has found that men who consume an average of half a portion of soy products per day are more likely to have a lower concentration of sperm. Soy contains a number of isoflavones that exert an oestrogen-like affect, like daidzein, genistein and glycitein. Some studies have indicated that high consumption of soy isoflavones could affect fertility. The new study, published in the journal Human Reproduction, indicates that there may be a link with reduced sperm count in humans. The research team, led by Dr Jorge Chavarro of the Harvard School of Public Health in the US, analysed the diets of 99 men who attended a fertility clinic with their partners between 2000 and 2006. Those who had an average of half a portion of soy foods per day (~17mg isoflavones) there are ~3.5mg isoflavones/g soy protein - were seen to have sperm concentrations of 41 million less sperm per ml. The normal sperm concentration range is 80-120m per ml. Half a serving is the equivalent of one cup of soy milk or one portion of tofu, tempeh, or soy burgers every other day.

Soy consumption has been linked to cognitive impairment in male rats.[9] Nevertheless the cited studies are based on rats fed with concentrated phytoestrogens and not common soy beans and it is already well known that concentrated estrogens cause negative effects in males. The common amounts of phytoestrogens in soy beans are not to be compared to concentrated phytoestrogens.[citation needed]

High levels of phytic acid, which binds to important nutrients like calcium, magnesium, iron,[10] and zinc, during digestion. However, as a comparison, cow milk is known for significantly slowing down the absorption of iron[11] and, additionally, calcium from other than dairy sources (like kale, sesame).

Although in general soy milk is not suitable for babies or infants, there exist baby formulas based on soy protein, i.e. soy milk, that are used primarily in the case of lactose intolerant children, those allergic to cow's milk or parental preference for a vegetarian or vegan diet. Farley's Soya Infant Formula is approved by the Vegan Society in the UK. These formulas are commonly named "soy milk", but contain extra carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals. However, care must be taken that children with "Soy protein intolerance" are not fed soy milk.

Lactaid

Milk with most of the lactose taken out.

For what do you want to consume the milk: as an ingredient in a recipe, or for the nutrition?

If it's for a recipe (like in your oatmeal, for instance), you won't get much of a hormone hit, quantity-wise...go ahead and use the soy.

If it's for calcium, phosphorus, etc., take supplements and stop with the milk altogether.

I've been using almond milk. The vanilla is delicious, but too much sugar so I opt for the original flavor.

I want something that helps me with eating cereal and my protein shakes. I make protein shakes with milk since making it with water is horrid for me. That's my main reason.

For some reason I only get queasy from milk. I love cheese and I'm fine having cheese and yogurt.

ITJock saidLactaid

Milk with most of the lactose taken out.

I went to the store today to look at Lactaid and found that it's pretty clean. By clean I mean they are not weird chemicals or additives. They only had one thing which is lac-something which I'm assume takes out the lactose. Other than that it seems all good.

What do you guys think? Is Lactaid pretty "clean" for eating healthy?

Rice milk is pretty tasty. I buy it as a treat. I avoid soy milk because of the estrogen inducing effects it has.
Rice milk is great in cereal and protein drinks. It's fortified with calcium.

I just bought my first carton of Lactaid the other day. It tastes exactly like milk and the best part is I don't have my major stomach issues after drinking it! It's been a few days now and it all seems to be going ok. I may stick with Lactaid since it's essential milk just without the lactose.

Out of curiosity, what is lactose good for anyhow? Does it have health benefits?

It's basically just a sugar, if I remember correctly, that's found mostly in milk. Infant mammals produce high quantities of lactase in order to break down lactose into its basic components for digestion. In a lot of areas of the world, as the mammal matures, it produces less and less lactase in its intestines, thus creating what we refer to as "lactose intolerance." It's hard to generalize that, though, because there are a lot of people in a lot of areas of the world that never really become lactose intolerant due to long histories of raising milk from animals.

I'm sure there's a lot more out there, but that's just what I remember from High School biology. Lol Hope that helps.

manpit209 saidWhat do you guys think? Is Lactaid pretty "clean" for eating healthy?

They actually add lactase enzyme (like the pills you can take). It converts the lactose into a simpler sugar (glucose??) so your body does not have to digest it.

manpit209 saidI just bought my first carton of Lactaid the other day. It tastes exactly like milk and the best part is I don't have my major stomach issues after drinking it! It's been a few days now and it all seems to be going ok. I may stick with Lactaid since it's essential milk just without the lactose.

Out of curiosity, what is lactose good for anyhow? Does it have health benefits?

I've been lactose intolerant for some time. Here's the deal, Lactose is the sugar compound found in milk. Lactaid is regular, pasturized cow's milk that also contains Lactase, the enzyme that breaks down the sugar compound in cow's milk. Lactose is just sugar, the reason you're lactose intolerant is because your body is unable to produce the lactase enzyme.

FYI, if you steam milk to a certain temperature, the lactose breaks down and most can digest it without worry. (hence the reason i can enjoy an occasional cappuccino).

Cow's milk really isn't the best thing for the human body. It's not designed for us. It's designed for baby calves. Milk products produce a lot of phlegm and for me made it very difficult to defecate.

I take calcium supplements and avoid it altogether. If I eat cereal and want milk I have it with rice milk. It's more costly but I don't go through it that fast.

Guys that drink a lot of milk also tend to get that nasally sound when they talk.

VinBaltimore saidI've been using almond milk. The vanilla is delicious, but too much sugar so I opt for the original flavor.

Agreed!