Everything About Plant-Based Milk You Need To Know Right Now
Have you ever given a thought about “MILK” and the “DAIRY INDUSTRY”? Do humans need “MILK”? Do humans need to drink “COW’S MILK” throughout their lives? Do cows produce so much milk naturally? Do they produce it for humans or their calves?
The truth is Cows produce milk for the same reason that humans do, to nourish their young but calves on dairy farms are taken away from their mothers when they are just 1 day old. As per PETA, calves are fed milk replacers (including cattle blood) so that their mothers’ milk can be sold to humans.
As per TimesNow, milk may not be as important as we have been made to believe. The research suggested that drinking milk can increase the risk of hip fractures, and therefore, the claim that drinking milk leads to healthier bones is nullified. People who have started consuming Vegan Milk feel that their body and skin feel better.
What is Plant-Based milk?
Milk derived from the plant is known as plant-based milk. It is highly rich in nutrients and lactose-free as compared to well-known cow milk. Some of the plant-based dairy substitutions are:
- Almond Milk
- Cashew Milk
- Soy Milk
- Coconut Milk
- Rice Milk
- Hemp Milk
- Oat Milk
- Flax Milk
- Pea Milk
- Quinoa Milk
- Hazelnut Milk
- Walnut Milk
- Macadamia Milk
Why do we need to switch to plant-based dairy products?
1. For Your Own Good Health
As per worldplantmilkday.com, a plant-based diet that includes plant milk is good for health as it can help prevent diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, obesity, and certain kinds of cancer. Opting for plant-based milk will also make you feel more energetic, less bloated, clear your skin, improve your digestion, and other health benefits. According to the U.S National Library of medicine, Doctors are defining Lactose intolerance and milk allergies as some of the most common problems with cow’s milk, whereas plant-based milk is free from all of these problems.
2. To reduce Global Warming
Animal agriculture is the major contributor to global warming, and cows produce more greenhouse gas emissions than any other livestock. Transportation and other culture associated with this business also produce an extreme amount of greenhouse gases into the environment. Dairy farms have a huge water footprint and also one of the main causes of water pollution as well. Switching to a plant-based diet could be a tiny step saving our planet from a disastrous end due to climate change.
3. To Save Cows from Exploitation & Killing
Deadly dairy Industry: Dairy industry is super ugly and terrifying, you can see documentaries and different videos about it over the internet. Cows and their calves are treated horribly. These lovely, friendly, and emotional cows are exploited every day. As per TOI, Animal Equality, a Pune-based animal protection organization, exposed shocking scenes of cruelty and suffering in their documentary titled, ‘Deadly Dairy’. Artificial Insemination: Reproduction in dairy farms does not take place through natural mating anymore. All of the dairy farms use artificial insemination. At semen collection centers, bulls are unnaturally made to mate with other bulls known as ‘teasers’, who are raised to be docile by cruel means like beating. Semen collected from such tormented bulls is inserted into the uterus of the female animal, often by inexperienced men with unsterile equipment in unhygienic conditions. And this is done year after year until her body finally gives up. Calves are starved: All 100% of the dairy farms had calves tied away from their mothers to ensure that calves do not drink any milk. The male calves are either sold for slaughter or starved to death as they do not produce any milk and add to the cost of the dairy owner. Brutality towards animals: The animals are often brutally hit with sticks or chains, punched, and kicked and subjected to sexual abuse as workers shove their fingers inside the cows’ sensitive genitals. There is no veterinary doctor on board, many of the dairy owners self-medicate the animals to save costs. Hammer Slaughter: At the slaughterhouses, the butchers fail to kill the animals in one slit. They repeatedly slit the animal’s throat resulting in severe shock. Some meat shops in Kerala practice barbaric ‘hammer slaughter’ where the animal is repeatedly bludgeoned with a hammer on the head till the animal falls unconscious.
4. Plant-based milk tastes good
With the growing need for plant-based milk, brands have come up with a lot of different options ranging from soy, almond, cashew, rice, oat, hemp, flax, and coconut. With different options and different tastes, you will surely find the best option which suits your taste buds.
5. For the Youth of India
India is a Dairy loving country, we all are brought up with the belief of the need for dairy in our everyday life to make our bones and teeth strong but the youth of India is tech-savvy and debunking the old myths by doing their research, either by staying updated on the global social media posts or by reading latest research papers on the same. They believe in Climate Change and stand for Animal Right, they are talking about it and spreading awareness as well. A lot of Youth leaders are asking people to go Vegan and giving information on how the meat and dairy industries are wreaking havoc on water scarcity, hunger, pollution, and climate change. People are also releasing and thinking about their food & drink choices impact on the planet.
Dairy alternatives
These days, there are dairy-free alternatives to every dairy product you can imagine. Here’s a couple of our favorites.
Where to shop Indian Vegan-Milk Brands?
Did you know?
22nd August is celebrated as World Plant Milk Day
It is an international day that celebrates & promotes plant-based alternatives to dairy milk and to expose the cruelty of the dairy industry. Founded by Robbie Lockie, Co-founder of Plant Based News, in 2017 and established as a partnership with ProVeg in 2018, the campaign has attracted the attention of millions of people around the world and helped accelerate the transition from dairy milk to the rich variety of plant-based alternatives. In 2020, Switch4Good joined to reach more people and further the idea that ‘The Future Is Dairy-Free’.
Would you try or switch to plant-based milk?
After knowing the impact of the Dairy Industry on Climate, Health, and Animals, would you give a try to Plant-Based Milk?
Share your experience with us if you decide to try one and which plant-based milk did you like the most. Feel free to ask more queries regarding Plant-Based Milk and we will be happy to answer any questions.
