MILKING IT – a breakdown of oat milk

Oat milk seems to be taking the world by storm right now. It’s become the trendiest dairy-milk alternative out there, frothing everyone’s latte, while almond milk’s been left by the wayside. But what gives this milk the right to bully the others? With all the dairy-free choices out there, is it really the leader of the pack?

Let’s put taste preference aside and look at the health benefits and how it compares to its non-dairy competitors.

Oat milk, a vegan, gluten-free dairy alternative, is a blend of carbs/sugar, some fibre, and protein––really not much different from nut milk, coconut milk, rice milk, etc. All of these milk alternatives, however, are enriched with other nutrients that make them a bit more worthwhile to drink. Most of the “health benefits” from these milks come from these added nutrients, not the product itself (best to be aware of this if you decide to make your own nut or oat milk). Oat milk also boasts an emulsifier, rapeseed oil, most commonly. Rapeseed oil is sometimes called canola oil but the two are not necessarily the same; it depends on the oil’s Euric acid content.  This type of oil has been controversial for some time––health concerns exist, even with the improvements made to it, such as ensuring that it’s non-GMO.

It’s believed that oak milk boosts immunity because of the added vitamins A and D. There’s also a nutrient in oat milk called beta glucan, which is said to lower cholesterol. In fact, a few studies note that drinking it over a period of four to six weeks lowers both our LDL (bad cholesterol) and our total cholesterol. This is compared to drinking rice milk, specifically, so please do not think that results are in relation to any medical treatments. It also apparently strengthens bones, but again, because of its added nutrients, not because of the milk itself.

To see how oat milk stacks up against another dairy-free alternative, let’s take a look at the following nutritional labels: oat milk vs. almond milk.