Cow vs Soy Milk

Question from a friend: "Which is better for you? Soy milk or Cow milk??"

My response: Neither one is necessarily "better" for you. They are both complete sources of protein - one animal based, one plant based. Both have different fat contents depending on the type you buy but soy milk has less saturated fat and is cholesterol free. If you drink skim cow milk you don't have to worry about that though. Soy also has more beneficial omega-3 fatty acids in it. Soy milk doesn't naturally have all the nutrients that cow's milk does so in order for it to be equally healthy in that sense of the word it must be a fortified soy milk. However the calcium in soy milk isn't as easily absorbed as the calcium in cows milk which could be a problem if someone's diet was too low in calcium which is pretty common. Soy can be a controversial thing but is beneficial for people with heart or cholesterol problems and should be avoided by women who have had or are at risk for breast cancer. However cow's milk has who knows what hormones, antibiotics, etc in it so dairy is one of the products that is much safer when bought organic. Bottom line is there isn't one milk that is "better" for you. It kind of depends on your goals and life styles. And some people eat soy and soy protein in so many other things that I wouldn't add soy if you are already doing this. And remember - its always the healthiest to get the lowest fat milk possible...preferably fat free!

Asked my fellow Registered Dietitian friend her thoughts and her response was: I think either are ok in moderation (not 4-5 servings a day). All dairy needs to be organic (due to hormones and antibiotics and fertilizers and pesticides) and soy should be organic (due to the fact that most soy is genetically modified). I don't think soy is appropriate for children and menopausal women (due to the estrogenic effects). So if someone is changing to soy, they should watch how much soy they get because it is in EVERYTHING.