People have begun to replace cow’s milk with plant-based substitutes in recent years. And for most people, the choice is between soy, almond, and wheat milk.
Alternatives to animal milk have added $105 million in development, while animal-based milk has declined by $264 million, according to the Plant-Based Foods Association.
However, social media users are now opposing wheat milk and urging others not to consume it due to “health concerns.” After becoming worried about the rapeseed oil, lipids, and sugar in wheat milk, TikTok users began a movement.
So Newsweek enlisted the help of specialists to determine whether wheat milk is beneficial or harmful for you once and for all.
Carley Nadine, a TikTok user and holistic nutritionist, went popular after sharing a video about “why you should stop drinking oat milk.” In her film, which has over 180k views, she says that the milk substitute significantly raises blood sugar, has an effect on hormones, and adds to anxiousness and inflammation.
“Oat milk isn’t the health food that it’s positioned as,” Carley, of Toronto, Canada, told Newsweek. Enzymes introduced during the manufacturing process break down the natural wheat carbohydrates into sugar in most common types. As a result, it can cause your blood sugar to rise more than other types of milk. Particularly if eaten on an empty stomach.
“The majority of oatmilks contain additives and seed oils like sunflower or canola oil.” This contributes to the rich flavor and mouthfeel of wheat milk.
“Glyphosate, also known as “Roundup,” is frequently sprinkled on wheat fields to hasten drying after harvest. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) recently discovered elevated amounts of glyphosate contamination in a number of famous oat-based goods.”
Lauren McNeil, a licensed dietitian from Toronto, Canada, has posted a video on TikTok to “set the record straight.”
Lauren, who operates her own company called ‘Tasting to Thrive,’ told Newsweek, “Oat milk can absolutely be a part of a nourishing overall eating pattern.” Most store-bought plant-based milk is also enriched with calcium and vitamin D, which are essential minerals to consume.
“I prefer unsweetened plant-based milk because you can control the sweetness.” There aren’t any drawbacks!”
According to Medical News Today, a cup of wheat milk has 130 calories, which is less than half of the calories in cow’s milk, which has 259 calories.
According to the medical information website, bovine milk contains 31 grams of sugar, wheat milk is close behind with 19 grams, and almond and hemp milk contain no sugar at all.
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Ayat Sleymann, owner of Sleymann Nutrition, LLC, spoke with Newsweek and debunked a few falsehoods that had been circulating on the internet.
“Many people are concerned about the dipotassium phosphate ingredient added to oat milk,” said the Registered Dietitian Nutritionist. This component serves as a ‘acidity adjuster,’ preventing the plant-based milk from separating when mixed with coffee. To put it another way, it enhances the customer experience when they choose to sip wheat milk.
“A lot of people are concerned about this ingredient because of misinformation, but dipotassium phosphate is safe to consume for the general public and provides about 20% of the daily value of phosphorus.” The body requires phosphorous to produce energy and perform regular physiological processes.
“However, those with kidney disease should be cautious about how much phosphorus they consume because their kidney is not very good at removing phosphorus from the body.”
“As for the misinformation about rapeseed oil (or, more commonly, canola oil) being added to oat milk, studies show that this oil has cardiometabolic benefits,” she adds. It contains fewer saturated fats, more unsaturated lipids, and more omega-3 fatty acids than most other oils, which helps lower LDL and overall cholesterol readings.
“Because it is made from oats, oat milk has a little more protein, fiber, and vitamins than other non-dairy milk.” However, it contains less protein than bovine milk.
“Beta-glucan, which is found in oat milk, has been shown to improve cholesterol levels and help manage blood sugar levels over time.” It is also an excellent choice for those who are allergic to nuts or who are attempting to follow a plant-based diet.”
Related Questions
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What are the downsides of oat milk?
Oat milk can induce stomach upset and bloating. Furthermore, it may interfere with diabetes medicines, causing blood sugar levels to drop dangerously low.
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Is of oat milk bad for you?
Oat milk is not as healthy as the label’s healthy-sounding promises imply, particularly when compared to cow’s milk. It does, however, contain beta-glucan, a form of soluble fibre found in cereals, and is lactose-free, low in saturated fat, and cholesterol-free.
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Is oat milk inflammatory?
Oat milk is usually produced with inflammatory vegetable oils such as rapeseed, canola, and sunflower oils. This type of fat is known to improve structure, but I try to avoid irritating oils as much as possible. (I wrote more about this here).
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What are the pros and cons of oat milk?
Pros and cons of oat milk
- Its consistency is thicker, like cow’s milk.
- It makes the best coffee creamer and steamed milk.
- It’s the best for baking.
- It’s more sustainable.
- It may contain gluten.
- Higher in carbohydrates.
- It’s higher in calories.
- It contains healthy fats.