Almonds: delicious, crunchy, and consistently cited in the “healthiest foods” articles that flood our Facebook feeds. With a healthy dose of vitamin E, manganese, biotin, and fiber, almonds are renowned in the health food community for being a good source of plant-based nutrition and protein. Almond milk is the rich, sometimes-flavored juice of the nut; it is especially commended by the vegan community as a cow’s milk alternative. Even mega-corporations like Dunkin’ Donuts have added “lait d’amande” to the variety of dairy-free coffee creamers.
Possibly due to recent health and vegan movements, almond milk sales jumped 40 percent last year alone. It now outsells any other non-dairy milk including soy and rice milk, according to Fortune magazine. People with allergies or moral-food preferences commend almond milk for its creamy, nutty taste that is less watery than some other alternatives. Additionally, it is free of hormones that can be found in dairy and soymilk that can cause acne and other health problems.
Is almond worth all the hype? Research shows it might not be as good for you as people think. Almond milk contains additives like carrageenan, which is used as a stabilizer in beverages. Fortune Magazine also noted that researchers in Chicago are concerned that almond milk causes gastrointestinal inflammation, a worry that has turned some non-dairy-fans off of the beverage.
One cup of almond milk has about a quarter the protein of a cup of whole milk and significantly less calcium. Some almond milk brands seem to trump regular milk with claims of extensive vitamins and minerals. Most often, these are additives to the beverage that don’t exist naturally in the almond.
“If you’re interested in added nutrients, why not just pop a vitamin pill?” said Tom Philpott of Mother Jones.
Realistically, most U.S. citizens are getting sufficient nutrition whether we choose dairy or a milk-alternative. The real demon in disguise is the hefty environmental impact of almond milk production. According to Eric Holthaus of Slate.com, almonds alone use about 10 percent of California’s total water supply each year. California is the biggest almond-growing area in the nation and produces over 80 percent of the world’s supply.
California’s cool winters and mild springs make it a perfect place for the crop except for one factor: water. It’s no secret that California has faced serious water shortages that aren’t going away anytime soon. In fact, the drought is so dire that experts are considering adding a fifth level to the four-tiered drought scale, wrote James Hamblin in the Atlantic.
Almond farms use a significant and potentially devastating amount of water. Each almond requires 1.1 gallons of water to grow, and converting the crop into milk only uses more of the precious resource. Large-scale almond farms have been criticized for many ecological concerns around water. One recent study noted by Hamblin in the Atlantic showed king salmon in the Klamath River in northern California are threatened due to low water levels resulting from water diversion to almond farms.
Other studies have pointed out that 60 percent of the country’s managed bee colonies are dedicated to almonds, and many of the colonies shipped to California die due to pesticide exposure. Despite growing environmental concerns, almond production in the region shows no signs of slowing down. Fortune magazine noted that it is expected to increase about 3.5 percent each year for the next decade.
Though almond milk has its downsides, it may use more or less water than producing a glass of cow’s milk and doesn’t involve the ethical implications of raising an animal in captivity. For some people with lactose or soy sensitivities, it may be a great dairy alternative.
“Thinking about going easy on almonds is sort of analogous to GMO dilemmas or buying organic, where the point isn’t really nutrition,” wrote James Hamblin. “It’s environmental consciousness and sustainable, which always come back to water.”
With 10 billion people expected to live on this planet by the end of the century, it pays to be conscious about the ecological implications of our food today.
Hot or Not Verdict: Lukewarm.