Trendy almond milk is now known as the optimal way to start your day. It’s a vegan superfood and cow’s milk is getting left behind. We’re seeing the dairy industry drop in sales every day. More people are choosing trendy almond milk or other substitutes instead. But is this a good thing? Just because you’re downing liters of trendy almond milk doesn’t mean that it’s necessarily healthier for you.
That’s why it’s important to know the facts and see why it is or isn’t better for you. A lot of people just drink it for the sake of it. Trendy almond milk is certainly a brilliant alternative to its dairy counterpart. Especially if you’re vegan, lactose intolerant or you simply don’t enjoy the taste of dairy milk.
Although trendy almond milk is healthy for you, it doesn’t contain as much protein or calcium to completely replace what you’d receive from dairy. That’s why it’s very important that you receive adequate amounts from other sources too. Apparently, one cup only has one gram of protein versus eight grams in cow’s milk. As well as two milligrams of calcium versus 300 milligrams of cow’s milk.
With anything you purchase, be sure to check the labels before you purchase it. This is because most trendy almond milk or dairy substitutes contain a ton of additives, preservatives, or sweeteners. Despite the high amounts of protein and calcium you can get from cow’s milk, it’s not necessarily the best for humans to consume. It’s perfect for baby cows because they have four stomachs and can double their birth weight to 56 days. As humans, we work differently and so does the milk we drink as babies.
Ironically, we are the only species on this planet that continue to drink milk after infancy. Let alone the fact that we’re drinking this milk from another species. This certainly raises a few red flags.
Is Drinking Trendy Almond Healthier Than Dairy Milk?
This is a tricky question to answer because there are pros and cons to drinking too. However, drinking milk, in general, is nothing more than a habit humans have developed over time. The habit is not life or death and is certainly not always a healthy one either. There was a study conducted in 2016 by Harvard researchers, analyzed 43,000 men and 187,000 women. The researchers decided to replace the calories from full-fat dairy products with carbohydrates from whole grains. They discovered that the risk of heart disease dropped significantly by 28%. How interesting is that?
In addition, studies have found that dairy stimulates the release of insulin and IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor 1). Scientists think that this is why we often associate dairy with increased rates of acne and other types of skin blemishes. Moreover, studies believe that hormones in dairy also increase the risk of certain cancers, particularly prostate cancer.
A lot of people argue that we need calcium from dairy milk. However, the irony is that the countries that consume the largest amount of dairy products are the ones that have the highest number of osteoporosis cases in the world. Although you’d be cutting out the calcium from milk, you can get it from plenty of other sources.
After you’ve done your research, you slowly start realizing that just maybe, cow’s milk is not all it’s been hyped up to be. This is why nuts, grains, and legumes are replacing cow’s milk everywhere. Should you make the switch and is it healthy for you long term? That’s what we’re about to discuss.
Trendy Almond Milk Is Better
There’s no doubt that a plant-based alternative is most likely the best and safer choice. You see, although dairy milk contains large amounts of calcium, protein, and vitamin D. It also has a high amount of saturated fat, hormones, and antibiotics that are bad for your arteries, and can increase your chances of disease. The benefit of plant-based almond milk is that it doesn’t contain any of these. You score big when you opt for organic because you’ll avoid pesticides too.
In addition, trendy almond milk is often fortified with calcium just like normal cow’s milk. Sometimes there are even brands that fortify the milk with additional nutrients like essential minerals or Omega-3 fatty acids. So whether or not you’re opting for almond, soy, or oat milk, if it’s fortified, it equates to almost the same nutrient profile as cow’s milk. Just without hormones, antibiotics, cruelty, and ecological damage.
Many People Can’t Digest Dairy
With new technology and genetic testing for personalized medicine and nutrition, we’re discovering that more and more than most people physically, cannot digest dairy milk. In fact, studies show that 65% of adults have a certain degree of lactose intolerance. This is because your body does not have the enzyme needed to properly digest the milk sugar lactose. Having said this, there are an array of lactose-free dairy milk options that you can choose to use instead that are perfectly fine to consume. It also boils down to preference. However, you’re still consuming copious amounts of dairy which we are still questioning.
A few doctors are questioning whether or not this is because we are designed to stop drinking milk at a certain age. You’re not meant to consume it into adulthood. We feel that it’s really important to make quality your top priority when purchasing any plant-based almond, oat or soy milk option. Especially if you’re replacing dairy milk that you’ve consumed throughout your life. You need to ensure you’re still getting all the nutrition you can.
One cup of almond milk contains only 60 calories, as opposed to 146 calories in whole milk, 122 calories in 2 percent, 102 calories in 1 percent, and 86 calories in skim. It makes for a great substitute that will help you lose or maintain your current weight.
Look Into The Benefits Of Trendy Almond Milk
If you’re going to try and make a switch, or at least try to lower your consumption. Then it helps to know why you should and what makes trendy almond milk so much healthier.
You Can Keep Your Heart Healthy
The best thing about plant-based almond milk is that it contains zero saturated fats. It also has no cholesterol and is extremely low in sodium. However, it is high in healthy fats like omega fatty acids which are usually found in fish. This helps prevent heart disease and high blood pressure.
Weight Management Is Easier
You’d be very surprised at how the calories from dairy milk add up. Especially if you’re an avid tea or coffee drinker and you can’t drink these without milk.
That’s another reason why plant-based almond milk is great. It’s much lower in calories. Interestingly, just one cup of trendy almond milk contains only 60 calories. Whereas normal cow’s milk contains 146 calories for the full-fat version, 122 calories in 2 percent, 102 calories in 1 percent, and 86 calories in skim.
Not that weight loss should be the core reason for switching, but it will definitely help you reach your goals if weight loss is your goal. Trendy almond milk is a fantastic alternative that will help you lose or maintain your current weight.
Despite Claims, It Builds Bone Health
Yes, there is a lot of calcium in cow’s milk, but there can be in trendy almond milk too. Especially when you choose to purchase the fortified version.
Having said that, plant-based almond milk does not offer as much calcium as dairy milk, but it does provide 30 percent of the recommended daily amount. In addition, it provides 25 percent of the recommended amount of vitamin D, which can reduce your risk for arthritis, osteoporosis and improve your immune system.
This is a fantastically healthy combination because both these nutrients work together to provide healthy bones and tooth formation.
Forget About Blemished Skin
Acne, breakouts, and uneven skin tone will be an issue in the past.
Trendy almond milk contains 50 percent of the recommended daily amount of vitamin E. This is amazing because vitamin E contains antioxidant properties essential to your skin’s health, like protecting it against sun damage.
No More Sugar Spikes And Dips
According to health experts, trendy almond milk (with no additives) is low in carbohydrates. This means it won’t significantly increase your blood sugar levels which will, therefore, reduce your risk for diabetes. In fact, trendy almond milk has a very low glycemic index and will encourage your body to use carbohydrates as energy so the sugars aren’t stored as fat. Doesn’t that sound incredible?
Brilliant For Muscle Growth And Repair
I often enjoy drinking a glass of almond milk with a tablespoon of cocoa powder because it acts as the perfect post-recovery snack.
Trendy almond milk doesn’t contain a huge amount of protein. It only contains 1 gram of protein per serving. However, it does contain a lot of B vitamins like iron, magnesium, and riboflavin, which are very important for muscle growth and repair. Especially during those rest and recovery days!
Your Digestion Will Feel Amazing
Trendy almond milk contains almost one gram of fiber per serving, which is important for healthy digestion. In addition, this milk contains zero lactose. Since almost 25% of the US population is lactose intolerant there is clearly an issue with digesting the sugar lactose in dairy milk. Therefore, plant-based almond milk is a fantastic alternative for healthy and happy digestion!
Last but not least, plant-based almond milk alternatives generally taste a lot better than their daily counterparts. Especially if you’re put off by the rich taste of cow’s milk. It has a subtle flavor and blends very nicely with most recipes. Yes, your meals might taste slightly different, but the consistency will be very similar to cow’s milk. Trendy almond milk is also easy to store because you do not need to refrigerate it. This is ideal if you travel a lot or need to take it with you to work. Room temperature is just fine.
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