SoyMilk Crossroads

The myth I want to examine today is one that’s being pushed harder than ever. And that is….

Milk is Essential for Good Teeth

This is still being touted today even though it was brought into great question back in the 1960s. A study was done using rats because their tooth decay process is biologically identical to human teeth.

The end result was that the group fed pasteurized milk got twice as many cavities as the group on the sugar-fed diet.

Soda-Pop Era

With studies like this, how can dentists push milk as being good for teeth? Simple. We’re in the soda-pop era. Depending on the brand, a can of pop has anywhere from 9 to 12 teaspoons of sugar in it. A cup of milk has around 3 teaspoons of sugar. We’re looking at the lesser of two evils. Sorta. They each carry their own evils.

Dairy Industry Reaping the Benefits

With that much sugar in soda drinks, it’s prime time to push milk as an alternative. And that’s exactly how it’s being pushed, the healthy alternative to soda-pop. And to get kids to make the switch to milk, there is now a multitude of flavors available. Ah yes, but beware, read labels if it’s the sugar content that you are concerned with. The flavored milks increase the sugars up to 15 grams, some of them as high as 31 grams. Now you’re looking at anywhere from 4 to 7 teaspoons of sugar per cup of milk.

Need Alternatives for the Alternative

When it comes to your teeth, brushing them would probably be very good after drinking any of the above mentioned beverages. As for the milk, if there were any chance that it might be good for teeth, what about the rest of the body after it gets past the teeth. The mucus issue alone with cow’s milk (covered in Day 3), leaves me looking elsewhere.

One great alternative, of course, is to make Soymilk. It has Zero grams of sugar in it. As the maker, you control what sweetener, if any, to add.
 

Tomorrow’s topic… dairy and protein…     Back to Day 3.