Almond milk: benefits, recipe and contraindications

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The consumption of almond milk is advisable when you cannot ingest the usual cow’s milk, as it contains lactose that reacts by upsetting the digestive system during digestion.

The almond milk contains numerous properties that favor more emphasis during growth and adolescence of a child. This milk is totally, natural, vegetable and balanced, which is made from almonds. In addition, it is not composed of any kind of preservatives or additives and less gluten, lactose or cholesterol, it shares similar properties with soy milk and due to this its calcium content is essential during the first stages of life.

It is important to mention that not only almond milk favors the development of people, but the benefits it has are good for people who suffer from celiac disease, lactose intolerance or even those who do not consume products of animal origin.

The cholesterol level can also be regulated or controlled by the intake of almond milk, as it will maintain the proper indicated levels.

The benefits of almond milk

The properties of almond milk are numerous and varied, below we will name the most outstanding ones with which we will try to inform you for a later benefit.

• The consumption of almond milk is important for people with high cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
• For those intolerant to lactose, its consumption is recommended as it helps to make a digestion as light as possible.
• Its high potassium content is advisable for diarrhea or vomiting where potassium levels are reduced, milk helps to recover it.
• In many cases, people who suffer from gastritis or gastrointestinal problems change their diet to include almond milk because it gives them a recognizable improvement.
• It contains a level of soluble and insoluble fiber so it protects the wall of the intestine especially in favor of the colon, it helps to regulate the absorption of sugars and cholesterol.

An important fact is that almond milk reduces cholesterol levels twice as much as olive oil consumption.

Nutritional values ​​of almond milk

• Carbohydrates: 62 g.
• Proteins: 12 g.
• Fat: 10.5 g.
• Dietary fiber: 4.5 g.
• Vitamins: A (210 IU), E (15 mg), vitamin B2 (152 µg) and B1 (55 µg).
• Minerals: phosphorus 220 mg, calcium 200 mg, potassium 200 mg, sodium 35 mg and iron 5 mg.

How to make almond milk: recipe

Making almond milk at home is extremely simple and easy. In addition, it becomes an excellent alternative for those who suffer from allergies or lactose intolerance, since it only contains almonds and water among its ingredients, and provides us with a very interesting amount of benefits and nutritional properties.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of raw almonds (without salt or oils)
• 3 cups of water

Steps to make almond milk:

1. Put the raw almonds in a bowl with water, and let them soak overnight, or for at least 5 hours.
2. After this time, remove the water and rinse the almonds well, several times with clean, cold water.
3. Put the washed almonds in a blender, add the 3 glasses of water and blend well until a paste is left.
4. Now use a container, and on top of it place a fine mesh or a cloth strainer, to strain the drink.
5. Once strained, reserve the milk in glass bottles with hermetic closure, and save the almond paste to make sauce or to use it in dishes.

What are the contraindications of almond milk?

Although the so-called almond milk (whose more correct name would be almond drink, faithfully understood as such), it becomes a vegetable drink made in a totally natural way, and that gives us most of the benefits that almonds give us (although obviously less because we do not consume them whole), it also tends to have some contraindications that we should take into account before taking it.

And what are those contraindications of almond milk? The most important are the following:

• Allergies:  Its consumption is not recommended in people allergic to nuts, especially in case of allergy to almonds.
• Thyroid:  Although we will deal with this issue in a next section, its excessive consumption can cause changes in the thyroid and goiter.
• Babies:  Its consumption by newborns and babies is not recommended, especially if this drink is used as a replacement for breast milk.

What is the relationship between almond milk and thyroid problems?

We must bear in mind that almonds are considered a goitrogenic food, which means that they have a series of natural chemical substances that inhibit the correct absorption and use of iodine. As a result, the thyroid can be seriously affected.

Therefore, the consumption of almond milk is not advisable in people who have a thyroid problem. However, it is a safe drink in those people who have a healthy thyroid function, as  long as it is not consumed in excess (for example, no more than 2 glasses of this drink a day).

Pros and cons of the wonderful almond drink

Choosing this vegetable drink as a daily drink will provide us with many essential nutrients through the bran and the germ of the whole grain, two different parts of the grain. The germ is the inner part that is rich in nutrients and the bran is the outer part of the grain.  But why is it a good alternative?

It is the drink with the lowest risk of allergic reactions. Since there are people who have lactose intolerance or allergy, others who have it to nuts and soy, so it can be a good option for all those people. In addition, it has a balanced supply of nutrients.

It has a lower amount of fat compared to others. We would find 1 gram for each glass approximately and it is also cholesterol-free.

It has a good contribution of vitamin B necessary for metabolism among other things. We find heart-healthy nutrients in rice bran due to the unsaturated fat that comes from rice bran oil that may help lower blood cholesterol.

But what about the cons of this drink?

It is low in protein so we can choose to take it but we will have to complement that contribution with another food that provides more protein to our body. We found about 2 grams of protein in each glass. Unlike cow’s milk and soy that have a higher concentration between 7-8 grams.

It is low in calcium, approximately 15-20 milligrams of calcium per glass, so as we mentioned earlier in the protein intake, if we want to take it, we must supplement with foods that complete that calcium intake that we need daily.

If you are trying to lose weight or you are diabetic, it may not be the best option due to its high carbohydrate content. Rice is high in starch – about 33 grams of carbohydrates per glass.

If we have diabetes it can cause us a sudden sugar overload.