Are plant milk alternatives really healthier than cow's milk?

Cow's milk is described as very valuable in Ayurvedic nutrition and is recommended for some constitutions due to certain properties. The quality of the cow's milk obviously plays an important role, because the heavily processed milk in our supermarkets no longer has these valuable properties.

Plant drinks, the trend on the health market

Plant-based milk alternatives can be a good alternative for people who want to avoid consuming animal milk for ethical, health or environmental reasons. However, there are big differences between the different plant-based milks

Some plant-based milks, such as almond, soy and oat milk, contain a good amount of nutrients, including proteins, vitamins and minerals, similar to cow's milk. Other varieties, such as rice milk or coconut milk, have lower nutrient levels. It is important to pay attention to the nutrient content and any additives such as sugar or preservatives when purchasing plant-based milk.

Pay attention to the additives!

Some plant-based milks also contain additives such as emulsifiers or thickeners/stabilizers (guar gum, xanthan gum, gellan gum, etc.), tricalcium phosphate, natural flavors, sunflower oil, sugar, etc. These additives should be avoided if you consume the milk daily or regularly and if you have digestive sensitivities. It is advisable to choose unsweetened versions.

Plant milk throws our blood sugar levels out of balance.

Plant-based milk alternatives generally have a lower glycemic index than cow's milk, which means that they raise blood sugar levels less. This sounds very positive at first, because fluctuations in blood sugar can have a negative impact on our well-being and can even cause discomfort and illness.

However, there are some plant-based drinks that have a higher carbohydrate content and can therefore negatively affect blood sugar levels.

This includes:

1. Rice milk: Rice milk has a higher carbohydrate content than other plant-based milks and can therefore cause blood sugar levels to rise more quickly.

2. Oat milk: Oat milk also has a higher carbohydrate content and therefore can affect blood sugar levels. However, it is important to note that the glycemic index of oat milk is lower than that of whole milk or rice milk.

3. Spelt or wheat milk: Although these milk alternatives are less well known, they have a higher carbohydrate content than other plant-based milks and can cause blood sugar levels to rise more.

Which plant drinks are recommended?

In general, we always recommend checking the ingredients list of the drinks. There are a number of products that we rate as “very good”. Our favorites consist of the nut/bean/grain in combination with water and a little sea salt. That's it.

Under the brands Allos, Provamel, DM Bio (own brand), Natumi (at Denn's) you can find, for example, almond drink, cashew drink and soy milk without any other additives that keep blood sugar stable.

Use these drinks in coffee, as moon milk or in porridge for your well-being. Boiled water and herbal teas should, however, be the basis for your daily fluid intake. If you want to focus on your blood sugar balance, then use our Shodana herbal capsules or delve into the blood sugar balancing diet in our e-book available for download in our shop.