Health buffs and coffee lovers, how sure are you that you are drinking real coconut milk for your daily morning latte? Is your coco milk genuinely better in terms of health than regular dairy milk or skim milk? It may taste better but it may not necessarily be good for your health. Read on for breaking information.
Earlier this year, coffee giant company Starbucks Cafe launched their first non-dairy, non-soy, nut-free milk alternative: coconut milk. Starbucks started testing it last year due to popular demand, which got every health buff (especially vegan and Paleo dieters) excited — except for the fact that upon its release, Starbucks’ FAKE coconut milk failed to live up to all the hype.
Coco Superfood
Coconut milk is purportedly considered as a superfood, with reports that it can raise good cholesterol, fight heart disease, and even prevent Alzheimer’s disease. However, this is only true for PURE coconut milk or variants that only contain pure coconut and water.
And also add the fact that coconut milk is only healthy IF taken in moderation because its mineral content and ability to be absorbed by the body is just as high as its calorie and saturated fat content.
What’s In Starbucks’ Fake Coconut Milk
And then enter Starbucks who joined Costco and Walmart in making “coconut milk” the new trend toward “better health.”
However, Starbucks’ fake coconut milk consists of a combination of coconut cream, coconut water concentrate, water, cane sugar, sea salt, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D, flavorings, and a host of chemical additives like guar gum, gellan gum, xanthan gum, arrageenan, corn dextrin, tricalcium phosphate, and carrageenan to enable the “milk” to froth properly.
Some people report that the new Starbucks latte indeed has a weird aftertaste and unnatural sweetness. It may taste better, richer, and thicker compared to skim milk, but it’s also pleasantly sweeter — hence, not a good choice at all for dieters or healthy lifestyle enthusiasts.
More Processed Than Cow’s Milk
In terms of overall nutrition, nutritionist Dana White, RD also says, “It’s certainly a more processed product than regular cow’s milk.” It may be a better alternative for people who have allergies or intolerances to dairy, nut, or soy products, but it is also not necessarily a more healthy option compared to regular milk.
To Drink or Not?
A venti-size Starbucks latte using its coconut milk contains about 10 grams of cholesterol-raising saturated fat — the total amount you almost shouldn’t consume in one day — while the old Starbucks skim milk version has ZERO saturated fat.
In terms of its protein content, the coconut milk latte has only about 2 grams of non-meat protein, while the skim milk version has 16 grams or about one-third of the daily recommended protein intake.
It seems that Dunkin Donuts and Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf are offering a much a healthier or better alternative for everyone with their almond milk (except for people with nut allergies).
Finally, aside from the overly hyped fake health craze, the tastier, more fat-saturated Starbucks’ fake coconut milk latte costs 60 cents more than the skim milk or dairy choices.
Sources: NY Daily News and Eat Clean
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