Vegetable drinks: good alternatives to cow's milk

It is usual that, when a person consumes Cow milk, soon after tends to suffer symptoms such as bad digestion, flatulence and upset stomach. This is called lactose intolerance, and the reality is that many people originally do not know that they suffer from this disorder.

This intolerance appears when there is a lactase deficit during the process of absorption of lactose in the small intestine, as it passes into the large intestine without decomposing, beginning to ferment.

All this means that the person is not able to digest lactose correctly, which leads to gas and heartburn, among other digestive and stomach related disorders.

But this does not mean that you can not enjoy all the flavor and benefits of milk. There are options in the market such as milks without lactose. Although it is also useful to opt for other alternatives, as is the case of vegetable milks.

How many types of vegetable drinks are there?

Soy milk: Soya milk without doubt becomes one of the best known alternatives to cow's milk. It is extremely rich in B vitamins and proteins. It helps reduce cholesterol and triglycerides, in addition to being a good preventive of cardiovascular diseases.
Oat milk: it is one of the most complete nutritional options. It is rich in carbohydrates, vitamins of group B, vitamin E and D, as well as minerals (potassium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper and zinc) and carotenes.
Almond milk: it is a vegetal drink that is elaborated from the almonds, some nuts that contribute very important cardiosaludables benefits. It is rich in minerals, in addition to helping lower cholesterol and prevent osteoporosis.
Sunflower milk: it is a vegetable drink rich in vegetable fats, minerals such as magnesium and phosphorus, and also favors a good brain function.
Pumpkin seeds milk: pumpkin seeds provide linoleic and linolenic fatty acids, minerals (such as zinc, magnesium, iron and phosphorus) and vitamins. It helps maintain a good cardiovascular system.
Rice milk: it is a really energetic drink because of its high carbohydrate content. In addition, it helps improve intestinal transit.
Sesame milk: sesame seeds are especially rich in minerals (such as zinc, iron, copper, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus and chromium), and also provide proteins and unsaturated fats such as omega 6 and omega 9 fatty acids.

Nutritional information of vegetable milks

Depending on the type of vegetable milk that will be consumed they will contribute nutritional values different

To give just one simple example, in the case of soy milk we have a vegetable drink especially rich in protein, while oat milk stands out for its high content of carbohydrates.

These vegetable drinks stand out for their high content of essential nutrients, such as vitamins and minerals essential for the proper functioning of our body.

Therefore, there is no doubt that we are facing excellent alternatives to cow's milk, ideal for a healthy and balanced diet.

Why can they be a good alternative to cow's milk?

If you consider the possibility of finding alternatives or substitutes to cow's milk, it is quite likely that it is because it does not feel good, because you have stopped liking, because you have considered following a vegan or vegetarian diet, or because you think you can suffer of lactose intolerance.

The truth is that it is a type of intolerance whose incidence has increased surprisingly in recent years, probably because we have begun to be more aware of what are the symptoms that tend to appear when we suffer from it, and because also the means to diagnose it have become more accessible.

Be that as it may, the truth is that Vegetable drinks are interesting options if you are looking to replace cow's milk, but we must go in parts.

Milk - and its byproducts - stands out for being a group of tremendously complete foods, thanks to its contribution in proteins of high biological value, vitamins and minerals as fundamental as calcium.

Therefore, if we renounce milk we are in turn giving up one of the most complete foods that exist in our diet. However, this does not mean that it is an indispensable food (specifically, a drink). In fact, many nutritionists agree that, in reality, we should only drink milk in childhood.

However, Vegetable drinks offer interesting advantages over cow's milk. For example, they stand out for having a better lipid profile, having a much lower amount of saturated fatty acids, while its contribution in unsaturated fatty acids is higher.

Thus, for example, isoflavones present in soy drink help prevent cardiovascular disease, and can be very interesting for women during menopause.

How to choose a healthier vegetable drink: two aspects in which you should look

If you plan to substitute milk for any other vegetable drink, and include it in your daily diet, you should keep in mind two fundamental elements: if they are enriched or not with calcium and vitamin D, and the amount of added sugars.

It is usually very common to find vegetable drinks to which sugars have been added (either in the form of sugar, brown sugar, whole cane brown sugar, panela or stevia), so that a natural beverage that apparently tends to be healthy , it becomes a liquid with a high content of sugars, so it would not be so adequate. In this sense, it is best to discard any vegetable drink that provides more than 5 grams of sugar per 100 ml.

We must also look at whether the vegetable drinks have been enriched with calcium and vitamin D. In this way we will compensate for the risk of losing these nutrients when we eliminate animal milk from our diet. Thus, it is best to opt for beverages containing at least 120 mg per 100 ml in the form of calcium citrate.

Images | Istockphoto This article is published for informational purposes only. You can not and should not replace the consultation with a Nutritionist. We advise you to consult your trusted Nutritionist. ThemesVegetable drink