The Properties and Benefits of Oat Milk
Oat milk is a great alternative for people on a vegan or vegetarian diet. It’s also good for those who don’t want to consume drinks of animal origin or who suffer from lactose intolerance. Indeed, oat milk is an excellent natural option. It’s even good for the little ones in your home, because of its nutritional value and the benefits it provides. However, perhaps you’ve found yourself asking why it’s called oat milk when it isn’t, in fact, a dairy product at all.
In fact, its name probably came about due to an advertising drive, perhaps linked with the appearance of soy milk. In addition, many people tend to identify it as milk. Nevertheless, its correct name is oat drink.
Benefits of oat milk
Oat milk nutritional information
In 100 ml of oat milk you’ll find the following nutrients:
- 1 g of protein.
- 0.04 g of sodium.
- 0 percent cholesterol.
- 0 percent lactose.
- 1.5 g of fats (42 percent of which are polyunsaturated).
- 9.7 percent fiber.
Because of its characteristics, there are many benefits of oat milk for people who are lactose intolerant or who have high levels of fat in their blood. It also has no added sugars which add to its nutritional benefits. As you’re undoubtedly aware, there’s sufficient evidence available concerning the detrimental effects of sugar on health.
Read also: Benefits of Oat Milk and DIY Recipe!
Nutritional properties of oat milk
Oat milk is a drink rich in essential nutrients and a wide variety of properties, ideal for a healthy, varied, and balanced diet.
Fiber
Oat milk provides good quantities of fiber, which is essential for the proper functioning of your intestines. It also helps to regulate gastrointestinal transit and prevent or treat constipation.
Carbohydrates
It’s a drink that provides energy and has a high concentration of healthy carbohydrates. In fact, 100 grams of oat milk provides almost 10 grams of complex carbohydrates.
High protein content
Oat milk stands out for its high protein content. However, compared with animal-based drinks, like cow’s milk, it provides much less. Nevertheless, one cup of oat milk still provides two grams of protein.
High vitamin B content
Oat milk is rich in vitamin B, essential for the proper function of your nervous system.
Essential amino acids
Oat milk contains essential amino acids. These help your body to form new tissue and maintain your muscular and nervous systems.
High calcium content
Although calcium is usually associated with dairy products, did you know that 100 grams of oat milk contains 120 mg of calcium? This mineral contributes to your bone health, helping their development and keeping them strong and healthy. However, don’t forget that to guarantee the absorption of this nutrient, you must consume the daily recommended dose of vitamin D. In fact, research published in the journal, JAMA links supplementation with this nutrient with increased bone density.
You might also be interested to read: 4 Oat Milk Smoothies to Calm Your Hunger
Health benefits of oat milk
Everything we know today either confirms or increases our knowledge of popular medicine and allows us to confirm that oats are an effective food for maintaining or recuperating your health.
1. It lowers cholesterol
Oat milk doesn’t contain any cholesterol. Furthermore, it’s considered an excellent drink to help your body lower high levels of fat in your blood. Not only cholesterol but also triglycerides.
Additionally, as studies have confirmed, regular consumption of oats prevents obesity and reduces the distribution of stomach fat, as confirmed in an article published in the journal, Plant Foods for Human Nutrition.
2. It helps to cleanse your body
Oat milk is a purifier, which means it’s perfect to help you stay healthy and cleanse your body. It can also help you lose weight since it helps you cut out foods you don’t need.
3. It controls blood sugar
Oat milk stimulates pancreatic activity and is a source of slow-absorbing carbohydrates and fiber. For this reason, it’s good for diabetics who aren’t insulin-dependent to help stabilize their blood sugar. Drinking it at breakfast, for example, helps them control their blood glucose.
4. It may protect against cancer
Several studies conducted in the United States seem to relate the consumption of oat milk with some level of protection against certain types of cancer. For instance, colon, breast, and prostate cancer. This is especially important in a time when cancer death rates are increasing yearly.
5. It promotes digestive health
Many people with peptic ulcers drink oat milk daily to alleviate their symptoms. It’s also useful in cases of heartburn, gastritis, constipation (with a whole grain drink) or diarrhea (with a shelled grain drink), and flatulence.
Include oats in your diet
Finally, we hope that this information has been useful to you. Try to add this drink to your diet, as we’re sure that you’ll enjoy its many benefits. However, it’s worth remembering that the best way to include oats in your diet is to eat them in their natural form. If you do opt for the drink, always check the label to ensure it has no added sugars.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Jensen T., Adelmalek MF., Sullivan S., Nadeau KJ., et al., Fructose and sugar: a major mediator of non alcoholic fatty liver disease. J Hepal, 2018. 68 (5): 1063-1075.
- Burt LA., Billington EO., Rose MS., Raymond DA., et al., Effect of high dose vitamin D supplementation on volumetric bone density and bone strength: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA, 2019. 322 (8): 736-745.
- Chang HC., Huang CN., Yeh DM., Wang SJ., et al., Oat prevents obesity and abdominal fat distribution, and improves liver function in humans. Plants Foods Hum Nutr, 2013.