We are often told and have heard that a handful of almonds every day can help shape the memory. Almond is one of those dry fruits present in every household and has its nutritional value. Over the years, almonds have established their place as a beneficial dry fruit to add nutritional value and vitamins to an individual.
It is not just this nut but the milk obtained from the dry fruit is as better as the dry fruit itself. Almond milk has been considered a better alternative. Then cow milk due to some people’s dislike for the taste and other allergies.
Experts have mentioned that raw almonds might be better than almond milk because the number of nutrients and vitamins which raw almonds contain is more than almond milk. The commercial almond milk available in the market adds a minimal amount of raw almond, and the rest of it is sweetener, water, and other vitamins.
There are chances that almond milk has less fat than cow milk, which contains significant cholesterol. Hence, some people consider almond milk more than cow’s milk. You can prepare almond milk at home by rinsing the almonds in water for 1-2 days and then grinding the almonds and making a paste with water.
When you strain the water and almond paste with a cloth, you obtain a white liquid, the residue, and milk from the almond paste. Here are some of the benefits behind almond milk that you need to know.
Almond milk is low in sugar content.
As mentioned above in the article, almond milk is much better for consumption than cow/dairy milk since a single cup of almond milk contains only 1–2 grams of carbs, and these carbs include dietary fiber. A single cup of cow’s milk contains 13 grams of carbs, but all these carbs have is sugar.
However, the commercial almond milk available in the market has many artificial sweeteners and sugar preservatives added. It makes almond milk synthetic and harmful to health, causing an increase in cholesterol in a person’s body.
People who are suffering from diabetes are suggested to reduce o the intake of carbohydrates and sweet preservatives. Hence, unsweetened almond milk could be a better choice for individuals with a meager amount of sweetener in it.
Almond milk is enriched with Vitamin E.
Vitamin E is one of the essential vitamins required by our body, and almonds are enriched with vitamins. The vitamin has the power of an antioxidant and has the quality of anti-inflammation, keeping the brain healthy and reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s during old age.
Research says that 28 grams of almond can provide 37 percent of vitamin E daily. Commercially available almond milk is added with vitamin E while processing it with other minerals and vitamins during production.
Experts and sources that a single cup of naturally obtained almond milk contain 20–50 percent of everyday Vitamin E; on the contrary, normal cow milk has no Vitamin E per see, keeping the bone and eye health.
Almond milk is lactose-free
The most crucial concern for an individual is his milk allergy or if he/she is lactose intolerant. Dairy milk contains lactose, which becomes a problem for severe discomfort due to lactose intolerance.
Almond milk is lactose-free and could be opted as an alternative by the people who cannot consume dairy milk because it causes discomfort and severe symptoms.
Almond milk is low in phosphorous as well as Potassium.
If you are a sufferer of chronic kidney disease and it has turned severe, you need to void dairy milk because of the amount of phosphorous and potassium available in the daily milk. According to sources, a single cup of dairy milk has 233 mg of phosphorus and 366 mg of potassium, while almond milk contains only 20 mg of phosphorus and 160 mg of potassium.
People with kidney disease are unable to process potassium or phosphorous. It builds up in the blood, leading to many diseases such as heart disease, irregular heart rhythm, cardiac arrest, etc.
A person suffering from kidney disease switch to better alternatives for cow milk and should consider taking almond milk only after carefully observing the ingredients on the pack since it varies from one brand to the other.
Almond milk is also dairy-free and Vegan.
People have adapted to a cruelty-free lifestyle where they do not want to indulge in eating any animal-based product, including dairy products. Adjusting the new vegan attitude has led people to avoid cow milk and turn towards soy milk.
But individuals often are found to be allergic to soy milk as they are to dairy milk. In this case, they should move onto the next alternative, which is almond milk. But one must remember that almond milk must not be given to infants and small children because it has a low amount of digestible protein in it.
Almond is a good source of Calcium and Vitamin D.
Calcium is essential for developing healthy bones, and whole milk contains 28 percent of the daily recommended intake of calcium. But not everyone is prone to digest milk and has allergies, keeping in mind the amount of fat in dairy milk.
Although almond milk has less calcium than milk, manufacturers of various commercially available brands add up calcium and other vitamins in the processed almond milk. But if you choose to obtain almond milk at home, try to consume additional food items and a considerate amount of calcium in them.
Naturally obtained almond milk does not have Vitamin D in it, and this vitamin is essential for bone health, heart health, immune function, etc. Due to the lifestyle we have in our busy lives; we hardly have the time to expose ourselves to sunlight, which is the prime source of Vitamin D.
Commercially available almond milk could be a good source of Vitamin D. Various brands add Vitamin D to process and produce the milk.
All of these benefits of almond milk makes it an excellent alternative to milk and could be consumed in the daily routine very quickly as a new refreshing drink. Still, since not all vitamins are part of this drink, one must consume other food products to fulfill the requirement of all other elements and nutrients in the body.
