Paleo Diet and Paleolithic Diet Questions & Answers

Question

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I have a bit of a hormone issue in that too much non-organic/raw dairy gives me hormonal facial acne. So let's say that I want to go to Starbucks for a very rare treat (free drink on my bday!). Which would be a better choice in terms of hormones: organic soy milk (which I never consume) or conventional milk? Normally avoiding dairy would be a no-brainer but I am concerned about the effect of soy estrogen.

Edit I am mainly asking if anyone has a reference to the hormone content of conventional cream vs organic soymilk. I am not debating the merits of having cream vs milk vs soy. I already consume raw, local dairy but I avoid conventional dairy for the HORMONE effects. I already drank heavy cream in my coffee (when not black) but noticed conventional dairy has hormones that give me acne. However, soy milk is not good for hormones either. I realize I am comparing bad vs bad but I would like to get a numerical measure for estrogen or growth hormone content.

edited Sep 17 at 14:23

asked Sep 17 at 13:22

Marisa H
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AmandaLP · Answer 1 · 2012-09-17 13:42:48Z UTC

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Heavy Cream. They use it to make whipped cream, so it is in the shop, and you might have to explain that (and they may charge you for it), but it is the best starbucks option.

answered Sep 17 at 13:42

AmandaLP
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	Only caveat to that is the heavy cream isn't that great anymore either, depending on the store. My friend (Asst. Manager) at Starbucks says they switched out their old heavy cream for one that has hydrogenated oils and other stuff added... in the effort to reduce those evil saturated fats ;) So double check. I think though (at least in my stores) they might be bringing the better HC back soon. – Nivanthe Sep 17 at 13:56
	I know to go for heavy cream, but I was asking about the hormones in conventional heavy cream vs organic soy milk. – Marisa H Sep 17 at 14:13
	It would depend on which hormones you are more worried about. I like milk and cheese, so I am more worried about phytoestrogens than IGF. to me, the negatives of phytoestrogens outweigh the possible negatives of milk hormones. – AmandaLP Sep 17 at 16:47

blueballoon · Answer 2 · 2012-09-17 16:05:35Z UTC

My personal take on it is that if you don't do well with conventional dairy, and you're going for the occasional treat, I'd probably get the soy. I believe--please correct me if something's changed--that Starbucks uses organic soy milk. It's not perfect, and certainly I would avoid non-fermented soy whenever possible. That being said, having a soy latte once a year on your birthday isn't going to screw up your hormones. It's the everyday consumption of that + sugar + vegetable oils, etc., that will make you a mess. I say enjoy the latte on your birthday and don't feel guilty.

Rob · Answer 3 · 2012-09-17 16:19:49Z UTC

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Let's make this simple.

You only have a drink once in a while? Correct?

Enjoy it the way you like it. There's little gain from restricting yourself on the occasional once every quarter/year treat. Save yourself the headache and enjoy it.

PS: I'm obviously not saying that you should go with the 32oz Vanilla Bean drink. Keep it within reason.

answered Sep 17 at 16:19

Rob
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	what about the 24oz one? – CD Sep 17 at 17:35
	Well Mayor Bloomberg allows us to drink 16oz since drinking a HFCS-laden drink within that amount is perfectly fine. So let's go by his standards. 16oz at best. – Rob Sep 17 at 22:39

CD · Answer 4 · 2012-09-17 13:57:12Z UTC

If you just want their coffe, get it black. Starbucks actually has some decent brews that do not need to be diluted with cream.

If you are getting a latte, then by default they use 2%. But you can ask for others: Skim, 1%, 2%, Whole, Heavy Cream, Half and Half, Soy, or Egg Nog.

If it is a very rare indulgence, go with whatever you want (Heavy Creme or Breve would be best). If you are going on a regular basis then experiment with it and see what works for you.

Hormones: Organic Soy Milk vs Conventional Milk at Starbucks

4 Answers