What Are the Benefits of Oat Milk?

What Are the Benefits of Oat Milk?
Photo Credit girl with milk-moustache holding glass of milk image by Nikolay Okhitin from Fotolia.com

Oat milk is a tasty vegan alternative to dairy milks, and it is also nutritious. Oat milk is made with pre-soaked oat groats, which are hulled grains broken into fragments. Oat milk features a mild, slightly sweet taste, which substitutes well for low-fat or skim milk. Oat milk can also be used in the same way as rice milk or soy milk. Western herbalists recommend oat milk as a tonic for the nervous system. Oat milk is very low in fat and lactose free.

Vitamins and Minerals

One benefit to drinking oat milk is its nutritional content. According to the website Soymilkquick.com, oat milk contains 10 minerals and 15 vitamins. Just a cup of oat milk contains 36 percent of the recommended daily allowance, or RDA, of calcium. Oat milk also contains 10 percent of the RDA for vitamin A, which is twice as much as cow's milk. If you suffer from anemia and are looking for vegan options for iron intake, one serving of oat milk contains 10 percent of the RDA.

Lactose Free and Calcium-Rich

A surprising fact about oat milk is that it contains more calcium in one serving than regular cow's milk. Oat milk contains 36 percent of the RDA for calcium, while one serving of whole milk contains 28 percent. This fact allows you to get a good dose of calcium each day even if you are lactose intolerant, since oat milk is lactose-free. Many people who are lactose intolerant choose other sources for lactose-free milk, such as rice milk or soy milk. Oat milk might be a better choice for you, because it's typically cheaper to buy, or you can even make it yourself.

Low Fat

Not only is oat milk lactose-free and full of many vitamins and minerals, but if you are watching your weight, you will be happy to know that it is extremely low in fat. According to Fatsecret.com, one serving of oat milk contains only 2.5g of fat, and it has no saturated fat at all. Comparatively, one serving of whole milk contains 8g of fat and 5g of saturated fat. If you are worried about weight gain, you will be glad to know that oat milk is also lower in calories than many other types of milk.

Cholesterol Free

Since oat milk is made only from grains, it is a great option for vegetarians and vegans. Another benefit of drinking a grain-based beverage: no cholesterol; compare that with regular whole milk from cows, which contains 24mg of cholesterol per serving.

References

Article reviewed by Tina Boyle Last updated on: Jun 14, 2011

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