SHOULD YOU DRINK OAT MILK?

OAT MILK IS BECOMING INCREASINGLY POPULAR, bUT WHY ALL THE HYPE?

For starters, it’s a great, creamy alternative to cow’s milk (if you’re lactose intolerant, dairy free or vegan) and two, it doesn’t have an overpowering taste when adding it to coffee.

As a nutrition specialist and someone who pays an incredible amount of attention to the foods I consume (force of habit when that’s what you study), I thought it would be a good idea to dissect this oh-so popular beverage because I believe it’s important for all of us to have a good (evidence based) understanding of what it is we’re consuming. If the manufacturer won’t, I will.

So let’s get into it.

1..   While each manufacturer make their oat milk differently, each process uses an enzyme that breakdown the complex sugars into simpler sugars such as maltose. Maltose is a high-glycemic sugar that give oat milk it’s sweet taste. What should you know about this though, is high glycemic foods are what cause our blood sugar levels to increase (something we want to stay stable throughout the day). So one way you can mitigate this is to pair your drink with healthy fats and high quality protein. Think eggs and a little avo.

2. Oat milk, the kind used in café’s and sold in every grocery store imaginable, all use vegetable oils like rapeseed, canola and/or sunflower - giving it that frothy/creamy texture. However, these oils are highly inflammatory and cause inflammation in the body. Think bloating, fatigue, skin rashes, joint pain, asthma, etc. Brands like Oatly, Silk, Califia & Earths Own all full of these oils.

3.    Glyphosate is a chemical/ weed killer that are unfortunately used on oats. This chemical is a carcinogenic, meaning it’s a cancer-causing pesticide that disrupt your gut microbiome. So unless you are consuming organic oats (less likely to be exposed to glyphosate) then it is something you should be aware of.

At the end of the day, my goals isn’t for you to raid your fridge and dump all your oat milk out. No, my goals is for you to be aware of what type of oat milk you are consuming on a day to day basis and to make an informed decision. There are organic brands out there that do not use oils or have been heavily sprayed with pesticides.

So stop, look at the ingredients on the carton, set aside a budget (because the organic ones are more expensive) and remember why you’re doing this.

Other good non-dairy options include, coconut milk, cashew milk, almond, walnut, and hazelnut. Just make sure they don’t contain high inflammatory oils.