Milk is a very healthy and essential ingredient that people are used to including in their diet plan regularly. But while it can contribute to your health improvement through the ample amount of nutrition present in it, you should choose your milk option wisely. If you are lactose intolerant, you should never say yes to cow milk, even when it has more significant health benefits of Milk. Simultaneously, if you are vegan, dairy milk is out of your option. So, what milk can you choose as per your health requirement? Here are so many different types of milk consumed by people and the health benefits they provide. Let’s have a look and decide what to opt for.
Different Types Of Milk
1. Cow Milk
Loaded with proteins, vitamins, and minerals, cow milk is the best milk to serve your body’s need for calcium and protein if you are lactose tolerant and not vegan. Being a good source of a wide array of nutrients, cow milk is considered a whole meal within itself. It has all the nine amino acids essential to maintaining a healthy life.
Health Benefits
- It helps in developing and maintaining bone health.
- Prevent the risk of osteoporosis and osteoarthritis if added to your regular diet plan.
- Aids in weight management.
- Keeps a check on elevated blood pressure.
- helps in strengthening your immune system
- Promotes cell growth and develops new cells.
Nutritional Value
100 g of cow milk contains:
- Calorie: 60
- Protein: 3.22 g
- Carb: 5.26 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Fat: 3.25 g
Also Read:- What is the Best Time to Drink Milk
2. Soy Milk
Soy milk is probably the most nutritious dairy-free milk that is the closest thing to a complete protein. The milk is prepared by soaking the soybeans in water and then grinding the soaked beans to a smooth paste. It is suitable for a diet as it’s low in fat and low in sugar if you get the unsweetened ones. Nutritionally, soy milk comes closest to cow milk as soybeans are an excellent source of complete protein. Soy milk can be taken as an ideal drink post-workout to provide your body with the necessary protein it requires.
Health Benefits
- It keeps you full for longer and avoids unnecessary snacking.
- Keeps the bad cholesterols in check.
- It helps strengthen bones and reduces the chance of getting fractures.
- Promotes skin and hair health.
- It brings you the joy of having better mental health.
Nutritional Values
1 cup of unsweetened soy milk contains:
- Calories: 80
- Protein: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 3 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Fat: 4 g
3. Oat Milk
Although the health and nutrition experts believe that the milk extracted from soaking whole oats is not as nutritious as a bowl of whole-grain oats, they can’t deny the health benefits of oat milk. After extracting the milk, most of the nutrients are still left with the oat pulp. Oat milk gets its sweetness naturally from the soaked oats, so you don’t need any other sweetener to make the milk taste good.
Health Benefits
- It improves digestion and prevents constipation.
- It helps you to manage your blood sugar level.
- Drinking oat milk can help people to lower their LDL or bad cholesterol level.
- It helps in weight management and keeps you full.
- This is low-fat, dairy-free milk, which is an excellent choice for lactose-intolerant people.
- Provides the right amount of Vitamin D to the body.
Nutritional Value
1 cup of oat milk contains approximately
- Calories: 130
- Protein: 4 grams
- Carbs: 15 grams
- Fiber: 2 grams
- Fat: 2.5 grams
4. Almond Milk
Almond milk is one of the healthiest on the list of types of milk. Almond milk is generally made with dried almonds and freshwater, and you can add other ingredients like half a teaspoon of vanilla if you want to taste it better. Else, you can soak almonds in water overnight for a couple of days, then drain, rinse and grind the beans in fresh water to get the creamy, silky, nutty almond milk. It is advised to look for unsweetened almond milk as it doesn’t have a rich natural sweetness, and generally, the sweet one contains extra added cane sugar.
Also Read:- Almonds Benefits
Almonds Milk Health Benefits
- It helps in weight management as it is low in calories.
- Boosts Vitamin E intake and makes your skin and hair healthy.
- Almond milk safe for chronic kidney disease people.
- It is the best non-dairy, vegan milk option for those following a low-carb keto diet.
- It’s essential nutrients improves and speeds metabolism
Nutritional Value
A cup of almond milk contains:
- Calories: 30
- Protein: 1g
- Carb: 1g
- Fiber: <0.7g
- Fat: 2.5 g
5. Coconut Milk
Squeezed from the white flesh of a coconut, coconut milk is widely used as an excellent non-dairy milk alternative that is even safe for people with tree nut allergies. The white meat of the brown coconuts is grated and soaked in hot water. It creates a cream on the surface of the white liquid and is later used as coconut cream. The rest of the liquid part has a fatty, creamy texture and a distinct taste intended for culinary purposes.
For years, it has been used as an inseparable ingredient in desserts, soups, and sauces, especially in Indian, Thai, Hawaiian, and South American cuisines. But this milk actually lacks protein and it’s filled with simple carbs which can be unsuitable for diet plans.
Health Benefits
- It helps people to manage and lose weight.
- Coconut Milk helps prevent tumor growth and aging.
- It controls the LDL or bad cholesterol level and maintains the HDL or good cholesterol level in your body.
- Promotes heart health and reduces the risk of a stroke
- Coconut milk is highly beneficial for good skin and hair health as it has a high healthy fat content.
- With a high content of MCTs, coconut milk supports brain function.
Nutritional Value
1 tablespoon of coconut milk contains:
- Calories: 30
- Protein: 0.3g
- Carbs: 0.4g
- Fiber: 0g
- Fat: 3.2g
Also Read:- Virgin Coconut Oil Benefits
6. Hemp Milk
Hemp milk, as the name suggests, is made from soaked hemp seeds. These seeds are soaked in groundwater, and the result is milk that is much creamier than regular milk. Hemp milk comes in many forms, out of which the most popular ones are organic, GMO-free, flavored, and unsweetened.
Health Benefits
- It may promote skin health and prevent aging.
- It may prevent the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
- Keeps the bones strong and healthy, given its good source of calcium.
- It is rich in protein and perfect to consume for muscle strength.
Nutritional Value
One cup of original hemp milk contains:
- Calories: 130
- Protein: 4 grams
- Fat: 3 grams
- Carbohydrates: 20 grams
- Sugar: 15 grams
7. Rice Milk
It is a type of plant milk made from rice. It sounds new to many, but this milk has been around for a long time now. Rice milk is typically made from brown rice and brown rice syrup. It can be found in its original form and is also often found with common sweetening ingredients like vanilla or sugar. This types of milk is highly nutritious and a boon for vegans!
Health Benefits
- It’s an excellent option for those who are lactose intolerant and also for vegans.
- It may prevent osteoporosis and improve bone density.
- It prevents the deficiency of Vitamin B12 in the body, which is a common vitamin deficiency.
- Maintains healthy nerves and muscles and aids blood circulation.
- The best option for people with common allergies like soy, protein, milk, gluten, etc.
Nutritional value
Rice milk’s nutritional value per cup
- Calories: 120
- Carbs: 22 g
- Fat: 2 g
- Protein: Less than 1 g
These types of milk are all nutritious, and they can assist you in leading a healthier life if incorporated into your regular diet plan. With the array of vegan milk options available now, people have more options than ever to choose the milk as per their needs.
