What is vegetable milk? The characteristics of this product, its types, benefits and harms will be considered in this article.
Plant Product General Information
Vegetable milk appeared in our everyday life relatively recently. But today this product is increasingly gaining popularity among people. What is the reason for this? Nutritionists claim that the drink in question has valuable useful qualities. It has much more advantages than the usual animal product for us.
Features of a herbal drink
Vegetable milk is considered a fairly fashionable drink that is actively used to maintain healthy lifestyles. However, it should be noted that this product is not new at all. It was prepared and used by our grandmothers and their parents. They independently made this drink from cereals, poppy, soy, nuts and so on. All of these products have not only excellent nutritional and taste properties, but also successfully replace milk of animal origin during Lent.
Why switch to vegetable milk?
Milk is the staple food of all newborn babies. It can be safely noted that a person’s life in this world begins with this drink. But, unfortunately, far from all children have favorable “relations” with him. After all, even in infants, an allergic reaction may occur, which is directly related to lactose intolerance.
It is no secret to anyone that the use of animal milk has not only a number of certain advantages, but also some disadvantages. Of course, such a product is a good source of protein, fats, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. It also has many vitamins: A, B12 and D.
As for the negative side of this product, it refers to the presence in the milk of hormones and antibiotics that treat animals. In addition, the lactose contained in this drink can cause significant digestive problems. As a rule, they are observed in people who do not produce the enzymes necessary for the absorption of this component.
Thus, animal milk contains milk protein and lactose. It is these substances that can cause intolerance or allergic reactions. Therefore, many people use vegetable milk, in which the mentioned components are completely absent.
Beneficial features
What is useful vegetable milk ? Reviews of experts report on the following useful properties of this product:
- A plant-based milk drink is obtained from cereals, soybeans, seeds, nuts, rice, etc. Thus, the product in question contains all the same minerals and vitamins as the raw materials from which it was made.
- Vegetable milk (dry and ordinary) does not contain lactose. This fact is very important for those who have intolerance to the mentioned element.
- The drink in question is rich in vegetable proteins, as well as unsaturated fats.
- When consumed, fruits and honey are often added to such a product, which makes it even more useful.
Harm to drink
In which cases can not you use plain and powdered vegetable milk? The harm that this product can cause has been discovered by scientists quite recently. They claim that with daily use of about 40 ml of soy protein in women, the frequency of hot flashes with menopause is reduced by 47%. However, the presence of isoflavones in this product can significantly increase the risk of developing breast cancer. Despite this, many experts believe that the benefits of a herbal drink are much greater than the likely negative effects.
When should not you use plain and powdered vegetable milk?
- The composition of this product is different than that of traditional animal milk. Therefore, when switching to vegetable drinks, you should definitely include in your diet those foods that are enriched with substances contained in animal milk (for example, vitamin D, calcium, vitamins A and B12, riboflavin).
- You should not buy dairy and vegetable products, stuffed with various sweeteners, flavors and sugars.
- It is forbidden to replace mother's milk (when feeding newborns) with vegetable.
Composition and types
Vegetable plain and milk powder, whose properties are not known to many, can be purchased at any store. In this case, you should definitely pay attention to the manufacturer of this product, as well as its appearance.
Currently, the drink in question is obtained from several types of raw materials of plant origin. The composition of this product is fundamentally different from the animal. As a rule, carbohydrates and fats dominate in it.
The following types of vegetable milk are most popular among modern consumers:
- Coconut It is obtained by grinding the pulp of coconut, as well as diluting it with water to the required density. Such a drink contains vitamins B1, C, B2 and B3. Coconut milk is very oily. It contains about 27% fat, 6% carbohydrates and 4% protein. This product is used only for the preparation of various dishes.
- Poppy. Such a drink is obtained by grinding poppy seeds, as well as diluting them with water. This product contains magnesium, vitamin E, iron, pectin, stearic, palmitic and linoleic acids. However, most of all in such milk calcium. It also has a huge amount of codeine, alkaloids, morphine and papaverine. The product in question is used as a sedative, analgesic and antispasmodic.
- Soya. This is perhaps the most popular vegetable milk in the West. Its advantage is the high content of plant fiber, which has a beneficial effect on the digestive tract, as well as thiamine, vitamin B12 and pyridoxine. This product is also rich in proteins and does not contain lactose. It can be attributed to low-calorie, so it is ideal for all kinds of diets. In addition to the positive aspects, the drink in question has negative ones. It should be used with extreme caution by pregnant women and children, as well as people who suffer from diseases of the endocrine system.
- Walnut. Most often, such milk is made from almonds. It contains almost all the elements of the periodic table (calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, selenium, phosphorus, manganese and others). Such a product is an excellent antioxidant. It will enrich your body with some B vitamins and vitamin E.
- Pumpkin The calorie content of such a drink is small. However, its saturation with various vitamins is very significant. The product in question is rich in minerals that can strengthen the cardiovascular system and immunity, as well as improve digestion and vision. Pumpkin milk can be made not only from the seeds of the same name vegetable, but also from its pulp.
- Oatmeal. This is an excellent dietary product, which is recommended for use in diseases of the immune and digestive systems, as well as with a lack of various enzymes in the body. They make it from oatmeal, to taste add ingredients such as fruits, dried fruits, honey and more.
Dry product
In addition to ordinary vegetable milk, dry concentrated product can also be found on store shelves. It has the same properties, but has a completely different appearance.
How to get vegetable milk powder? The production of this powder is carried out through several technological steps. At the same time, the shelf life of the dry product is significantly increased. Using it is very easy. For this, milk powder is simply dissolved in water.