User:Indiemindy/Almond milk

Almond milk is a non-dairy alternative for milk that contains neither cholesterol nor lactose. It is the most popular plant-based milk in the U.S., especially among those who are lactose-intolerant and who wish to avoid dairy products, including vegans. Along with the growing popularity of almond milk, there has been a controversy on issues regarding the nutritional value and environmental concerns of almond milk.

Nutritional Disadvantages of Almond Milk
=== Almond milk and kidney health in children === This case study investigates three children diagnosed with hyperoxaluria resulting from excessive intake of almond milk products. The study revealed that the high content of oxalate in almond milk can result in oxalate overload in the kidney which can further lead to hematuria, dysuria or abdominal pain. The strength of this study is the children's compliance with standard dietary guidelines. The limitation of the study is the small sample size and the lack of study generalizability. Overall, the study suggests that the excessive consumption of almond milk products can be detrimental to renal health in children.

=== Almond milk and kidney disease === This article compares the nutritional contents of different plant-based milks including almond milk to those of cow's milk to determine whether almond milk products can complement the low-phosphorous renal diet. The comparison revealed that although the low potassium and phosphorous levels can complement the renal diet, the low protein level can cause dietary imbalance. The strength of this article is that it provides sufficient background information on the issue with plant-based milk consumption. The weakness of this article is that it does not explore other milk alternatives that could complement the renal diet. Overall, this article suggests that almond milk does not provide the best health and nutritional benefits for individuals with kidney disease.

Nutritional Advantages of Almond Milk
=== Low fat content === This review article compares the nutritional contents of different plant-based milks including almond milk to those of cow's milk to assess the health advantages and disadvantages of each plant-based milk and to further allow consumers to make informed decisions. The strength of this article is the compilation method of the nutritional content. Another strength of the article is the comparisons between plant-based milk products that emphasizes the nutritional benefits of almond milk even more. Only the products with nutritional data above the threshold was analyzed. The weakness of the article is the calculation of Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) values. The calculation averaged the recommended intakes for all the males and females from all ages, overly generalizing the analysis. Overall, the article suggests almond milk as one of the most ideal plant-based milk alternatives for its absence of saturated fats and high content of unsaturated fatty acids.

=== Preventative effect on cancer === This study tests the effects of cow's milk and almond milk on the growth of prostate and breast cancer cells. The data reveals that cow's milk increased the growth rate of prostate cancer cells while almond milk suppressed their growth rate. The data also reveals that neither cow's milk nor almond milk affected the growth rate of breast cancer cells. The strength of this paper is the repeatability of the study - 14 separate experiments showed similar differences in growth rates. The weakness of this paper is the lack of generalizability - only one type of breast cancer cells is tested. Overall, this study suggests that individuals with prostrate or breast cancer should consume dairy products with caution.

Nutrition Issues and Concerns
It is a controversy on whether almond milk can actually substitute cow milk because of its low protein content and the use of additives, texture and almond content. A 48-ounce bottle of almond milk contains 28 grams of almonds, which suggests that a single serving of almond milk has negligible amount of proteins. Moreover, the nutrients including Vitamin E and Calcium in processed almond milk come from additives and not from the almonds themselves. It is suggested that consumers to be aware that some manufactured almond milk have very low protein and mineral contents.

Environmental Concerns
The environmental concern with almond milk is the amount of water it takes to grow almonds. It takes 1.1 gallons (5 liters) of water to grow one almond, and almond farms in California that produce 80% of the world's almond crop use about 80% of the state's water. In order to pump out water, almond farmers drill thousands of feet down into aquifers, threatening infrastructures like bridges and irrigation canals that can trigger earthquakes.

Furthermore, the fungicides used on almond trees have harmful effects on pollinators like honey bees. Honey bees store pollens to feed growing larvae in their nest, and fungi help preserve pollen provisions. Research suggests that honey bees exposed to fungicides have increased mortality rate compared to unexposed bees. The use of fungicides to prevent almond trees from fungal blights expose honey bees to chemicals that destroy the fungi component of the pollen which is crucial to the growth of honey bee larvae.