The benefits of consuming oat milk

In recent years, plant-based milk alternatives have become highly popular and oat milk is no stranger to people who enjoy healthy eating. Oat milk is a lactose-free and gluten-free food alternative for people with intolerances and allergies. Read on to know about the potential health benefit of consuming oat milk in your diet regularly.

Oat milk is a vegan milk substitute that is also dairy free. It is made by blending the soaked rolled-oats with water and then straining the liquid through a cheesecloth. This separates out the milk from the oats. Oat milk is not as nutritious as whole oats but when it is enriched with other nutrients such as vitamins and minerals it increases its health quotient.

Each 1 cup serving of unsweetened and fortified oat milk contains a good amount of protein, fiber, vitamin B12, riboflavin, and vitamin D. There are various health benefits of consuming oat milk.

It is versatile. Oat milk is a fantastic option for people on a restricted diet as it is a vegan, lactose-free, soy-free, and nut-free alternative to regular milk. If processed correctly, oat milk is also gluten-free in nature.

High B vitamin content. Most variety of oat milk is fortified with B vitamins, particularly vitamin B2 and B12. B vitamins are beneficial to combat oxidative stress, improve the health of hair, skin, and nails, and elevate the mood.

Lower blood cholesterol. It is high in beta-glucans, which are soluble fibers and highly beneficial for heart health as they bind to cholesterol molecule and reduce its absorption. Thus, lowering the overall blood cholesterol level, which further helps to improve heart health.

For healthy bones. Oat milk is mostly fortified with vitamin D and calcium that is highly beneficial to strengthen bones and lower the risk of osteoporosis.

Downsides of consuming oat milk are as below.

Downsides of this milk are mainly because of its high added sugar content, particularly the sweetened and flavored variety of oat milk. One should also be vigilant to pick the packs of oat milk that are certified gluten-free as people who are gluten sensitive can harm themselves if they happen to drink oat milk that is contaminated with wheat gluten. Also, homemade oat milk is not as nutritious as the one available commercially because the latter is often enriched with vital nutrients. And lastly, it is quite expensive than regular milk.