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Grain Milk: The Milk Substitute Made From Whole Meal and Grain

Grain milk is becoming increasingly popular. You can make them yourself or buy them ready-made, made from oats, spelt, rye and other grains. Here we present an overview of the most important types of grain milk.

Grain milk is becoming increasingly popular as an alternative to cow’s milk. It is lactose-free and therefore suitable for allergy sufferers. It contains less fat than cow’s milk and, unless artificially sweetened, is also lower in calories than whole milk.

Grain drinks, as grain milk products are called in retail, can be easily made in the kitchen at home and are then not only cheaper than cow’s milk, but also have a good ecological balance if regional grain is used.

What is grain milk anyway?

Roughly speaking, grain drinks consist of water and various types of grain, while industrially produced milk substitutes usually contain sweeteners in the form of agave syrup, dates or vanilla.

Grain milk fans swear by the sweet to nutty taste that comes from the grain starch. They use their favorite drink for everything that would otherwise be made with regular cow’s milk. Whether in coffee or muesli, for desserts, cakes or sauces, grain milk can be used in many ways.

How healthy are grain drinks?

We can answer the question of whether grain drinks are healthy with a resounding “yes”.

For people who are allergic to cow’s milk or have a lactose intolerance, grain milk is of course the better alternative.
Caution is advised in the case of gluten intolerance, because the gluten protein is often also found in milk alternatives made from spelt, wheat, rye and co.
When it comes to protein and calcium content, grain milk also performs poorly compared to normal milk.
Due to the manufacturing process (every grain drink is filtered before bottling), the minerals present in the whole grain are usually lost.
In summary, one can say that cereal milk is an interesting alternative, especially for those who want to eat vegan or who want or have to do without cow’s milk for reasons.

Make your own grain milk

Of course, you can also make any form of grain drink yourself. Because the “production” is basically the same for every type of grain, you can find a general recipe for homemade grain milk here.

You need:
80g cereal flakes, grains or flour. You have to crush whole grains and soak them overnight or let them germinate before you process them
1l water
blender or blender
sweeteners such as agave syrup, dates or honey; alternatively some salt
Put flour, flakes or grist in a saucepan and bring to the boil with about 0.5l of water and simmer briefly. Remove from the heat, add the remaining water and add any sweeteners. Then mix the mixture well again with either the blender or the immersion blender and chop.

As a final step, filter your grain milk through a cotton cloth or nut milk bag into a suitable container to remove the solids. Squeeze the cloth or bag well! The cereal milk can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-6 days.

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Cooking Tips

Boil Raw Milk: How Long and Other Important Tips

Boiling raw milk is important: Because it is not pasteurized, it always poses a certain health risk. In this article you will find out how long you should boil raw milk and what else you have to consider.

Normally, the milk that you can buy in stores is already preheated and thus preserved. The pasteurization process also kills germs and bacteria.

It’s different with raw milk: it’s untreated, unpasteurized milk from farm animals. Raw milk can contain harmful bacteria such as listeria, campylobacter, EHEC or salmonella. Therefore, you should boil them before you eat them. The heat kills possible bacteria and pathogens.

Boil raw milk: this is how it works

You can significantly reduce the health risk from raw milk by boiling the raw milk before using it further. You can easily do this yourself at home – we’ll show you how it works:
Pour the raw milk into a saucepan.
Heat the milk on high (over 72 degrees Celsius) for 20 to 30 seconds.
As soon as the milk forms small bubbles and starts to foam, you can remove it from the heat.
Buy raw milk: Here it is
You can often buy raw milk at so-called milk filling stations. There you have the opportunity to tap the milk yourself. The milk filling station usually provides glass bottles for this purpose. Of course you can also bring your own bottles and use them for bottling.

Even if you get your milk directly from the farmer, it is usually raw milk. If you are not sure, you can of course ask.

Why you should boil raw milk

You can never rule out the possibility that cows will get sick or that equipment will not be completely clean. Raw milk can therefore contain pathogenic bacteria.

The milk filling stations clean their dispensers regularly and the bottles they offer must meet high hygiene standards. Nevertheless, sometimes bacteria can get into the raw milk. The consumer advice center refers to studies according to which almost every tenth sample of raw milk from milk filling stations contained pathogenic germs.
To be on the safe side, people with a weak immune system, children or pregnant women should therefore avoid raw milk products altogether.
By the way: The bottles at the milk filling stations are sealed and have to meet high hygiene standards. If you use your own bottles, make sure they are extra well sterilized.

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Cooking Tips

Make Your Own Golden Milk Recipe

Make your own Golden Milk recipe. Because the Ayurvedic traditional drink not only tastes delicious but also offers you many health benefits and can activate its healing powers with regular consumption. The positive Golden Milk effect helps with insomnia, digestive problems, and more.

What is golden milk?

The golden milk, also called turmeric latte, is a traditional drink from Ayurvedic teachings. It has been drunk in India for centuries because it is said to have healing powers. And indeed, the turmeric drink contains many healthy ingredients. In the meantime, the cult drink has also reached us. Because it also enjoys the reputation of having a positive effect on health. Accordingly, we do not want to withhold the effect and a recipe for you to make yourself.

The healthy golden milk effect

A key ingredient in Golden Milk is turmeric. Hence its intense yellow color and its name. In addition, it mainly consists of (plant-based) milk to which cinnamon, ginger, honey, cardamom, pepper, nutmeg, or healing coconut oil are added in addition to turmeric. Consequently, these different components ensure an extremely healthy effect. It is particularly characterized by its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, the milk is said to have a pain-relieving and relaxing effect. As such, it has many health benefits.

Make your own Golden Milk recipe

If you now feel like promoting your health with the cult drink, you can easily make golden milk yourself. You should make sure that you use ingredients of high quality. Organic products and products without additives are suitable for this. In addition, note the effect of St. John’s wort as a natural remedy.

Golden milk ingredients

  • 300 ml plant-based milk
  • 1 tbsp turmeric (or a small piece of turmeric – about 2 cm)
  • 1 piece of ginger (approx. 1.5 cm)
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp coconut oil
  • 1/4 black pepper
  • 1 tbsp honey or agave syrup

At will:

  • 1 tsp cardamom
  • pinch of nutmeg

Once you have all the ingredients together, put the milk in a saucepan and heat it up. She shouldn’t be cooking. Also, note how you can prevent overcooking and burning when boiling milk. Then add all the ingredients and mix them well together. If you don’t use spices, but fresh ingredients, you can put everything in a blender, puree, and then heat it up.

Beneficial milk as a remedy

After you have prepared the soothing milk from turmeric and co., you can enjoy it. The drink is particularly suitable in the morning or in the evening. Thus, it can unfold its positive effect and strengthen your body. If you consume the golden drink on a daily basis, you can achieve the following health results in the long term.

1) Strengthening of the immune system

The ingredients it contains, such as turmeric and the effective ginger, strengthen your immune system with their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Thus, golden milk is a good and valuable remedy for colds and for fighting pathogens.

2) Assists in detoxification of the body

It is also assumed that the Ayurvedic drink stimulates liver function. Consequently, you can use it excellently to detoxify your body. In addition, home remedies such as healing clay or a nice and relaxing alkaline bath will also help to drain toxins from the body. Such a detox can be useful if you often feel weak and battered.

3) Golden milk to stimulate digestion

Since the ingredients cinnamon, ginger and turmeric stimulate digestion, the delicious milk is a good remedy for diarrhea or flatulence. It also has a soothing effect on gastrointestinal complaints. It is also said to regulate metabolism and in some cases help with weight loss. But in all cases, it is helpful for you if you take them regularly and preventively.

4) Helps with insomnia

Sleepless nights and sleep problems are now part of everyday life for many people. There are many home remedies to help you fall asleep faster and sleep better. In addition to the usual home remedies, such as valerian, you can also try golden milk before going to bed. In addition, you can use such an evening ritual to bring about relaxation.

5) Use for headaches

The positive golden milk effect also effectively supports pain relief. The ingredient turmeric helps to reduce headaches. As a result, you can make yourself Golden Milk in stressful times, enjoy it, and relax.

6) Relieving menstrual pain

As already mentioned, one of the benefits of the traditional drink is its pain-relieving effect. In addition, it has a relaxing effect, which can help you to reduce painful hours, especially during your period, without having to resort to strong painkillers. Also, read our home remedies for abdominal pain.

7) anti-aging agents

With age, the aging of the skin continues and the wrinkles become deeper. That’s not bad at all. Still, many people want to slow down this process and have smoother skin for longer. And now there are countless products on the market that promise a lot but deliver little. If you want to do your skin good, use the drink. Because it helps effectively from the inside as a remedy against skin aging. It should also strengthen your hair.

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Lifestyle

Tips for Brushing Milk Teeth for Babies and Toddlers

Important tips for brushing milk teeth for babies after their first tooth and for small children. This is how you protect the baby teeth properly and get your child used to the daily task. Consequently, regular and proper dental care is important to prevent tooth decay.

At what age do the milk teeth appear?

Usually, the baby’s first teeth appear around the fifth or sixth month. But every rule has its exceptions: some of the babies are already teething at 3 months, others as late as 9 months. It can even happen that a baby is born with a small tooth. But then it sits loosely and quickly falls out again. So that the little biters are not attacked by caries, brushing milk teeth should also be taken seriously.

Typical symptoms of teething in babies

Growing milk teeth are announced when the baby begins to put toys and fingers in the mouth and suck on them or “nibble” with the jaw. At the same time, there is increased salivation. This can easily cause skin irritation between the baby’s lips and chin. Then you can regularly apply a thin layer of skin protection ointment to this area as a preventive measure. Also, dry your baby’s chin frequently with a soft cloth. In addition, your baby may have less of an appetite than usual and be increasingly restless.

Relieve baby’s pain

Teething is sometimes painful, which can lead to babies sleeping poorly and crying more often. The immune system is somewhat weakened during this time and you should make sure that you don’t get an infection. Likewise, pay attention to symptoms of illness such as fever or rash and do not simply dismiss these as symptoms of “teething”. In such cases, you should always have the baby examined by a doctor. The following tricks help to relieve pain when teething:

  • Biting on objects specially designed for this purpose, e.g. B. a rubber teether or a gel-filled cool teether.
  • Gentle massage of baby’s gums. Use your fingers for this. In addition, there are special creams in pharmacies that relieve the discomfort of teething.
  • A wet washcloth to chew also helps against teething pain.
  • Let your baby drink lots of water. That too can bring relief.

Properly brush your baby’s milk teeth

As soon as the first teeth have grown out several millimeters, you should start taking care of your baby’s teeth to avoid tooth decay. There are special thimble toothbrushes for caring for the first teeth, which you can use to massage the gums at the same time. But for the first tooth or two, gently stroking the enamel with a cotton swab or soft cloth is enough to clean the tooth. Also, note home remedies for removing plaque.

As soon as several teeth appear, you should switch to using a baby toothbrush. To do this, show your young child how to brush your own teeth. Then approach brushing your toddler’s milk teeth in a playful way. Then take it on your lap and gently brush your teeth up and down. If your child is a bit older, let them try to brush their milk teeth themselves as often as possible. So it quickly gets used to the routine. The KAI method for brushing teeth is recommended.

Replace baby toothbrush every 4 weeks

Once you use a baby toothbrush to brush your baby’s teeth, you should change it every four to five weeks, even if it’s still looking good. Since babies like to put everything they can get their hands on in their mouths and suck on them during the day, there are a lot of bacteria in the bristles of the toothbrush. And you cannot get rid of these with a normal cleaning by rinsing under running water. Changing your toothbrush regularly is therefore important to ensure adequate oral hygiene and clean teeth.

Provide baby teeth with fluoride

In the first year of your child’s life, it is important to provide the child’s teeth with sufficient fluoride. Fluorine strengthens the enamel and thus prevents tooth decay. Signs of caries would be small yellowish-brownish spots on the teeth. For prevention, many pediatricians prescribe fluoride tablets. To that end, it also makes sense not to let as much sugar get to the baby’s teeth. So also avoid constantly sucking on bottles with sweetened tea or milk. This is how you protect your child’s teeth and do the best for white teeth in the future.

Avoid tooth decay with the right baby bottles and contents

The bottle should not be used as a substitute for a pacifier. Instead, only tell your child if they are really hungry or thirsty. In addition, you should only fill the drinking bottle with tooth-friendly drinks, such as water or unsweetened tea. In contrast, juice spritzers are not recommended as long-term drinks because of their sugar content and fruit acids. Likewise, fruit juice nectar, lemonades, or iced tea are poorly suited as drinks for small children because they contain a lot of sugar. Once toddlers are able to do this, they should only drink from a learner cup. If the child also starts to suckle from the drinking cup, they should learn to drink from a real cup (made of plastic or unbreakable glass) as soon as possible.

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health

Useful Knowledge about Breastfeeding and Breast Milk Alternatives

When the long-awaited baby is finally born, a very special and exciting time begins for the parents. A lot will then be new in living together and some things will have to get used to overtime. Breastfeeding with breast milk or breast milk alternatives will also be an issue. Therefore, we have collected useful information.

When the long-awaited baby is finally born, a very special and exciting time begins for the parents. A lot will then be new in living together and some things will have to get used to overtime. Breastfeeding with breast milk or breast milk alternatives will also be an issue. Therefore, we have collected useful information.

Proper breastfeeding guidance and help

Since many mothers are a bit uncertain, especially at the beginning, you should get help from a lactation consultant or a specially trained midwife when it comes to breastfeeding. They can give valuable tips on the subject. You can also get valuable tips on pregnancy with asthma or the right diet during pregnancy here.

It should be possible to breastfeed the baby on both breasts without difficulty, even in different breastfeeding positions. If the baby is latched correctly, it can prevent sore nipples, engorgement, and other problems. The baby should be able to grasp both breasts well and breastfeeding should be painless.

Use the nursing pillow

The so-called breastfeeding pillow is one of the most important things in the baby’s initial equipment. There are different versions of this. In general, it should make breastfeeding easier for the mother and the child and make breastfeeding more comfortable. The nursing pillow is a special pregnancy pillow that is ergonomically shaped and flexible to use and is already popular during pregnancy. The selection of nursing pillows is quite large. A look at the nursing pillow test winner can help make the right decision in this regard.

How long should you breastfeed?

It is recommended that the infant be exclusively breastfed until at least the beginning of the fifth month. After that, you can start with complimentary food. After six months, the baby should also be given other food at the latest. But you have to decide for yourself how long you want to breastfeed your child.

The frequency and duration of meals

How often you breastfeed is an individual decision. This allows the infant to have eight to twelve breastfeeding meals a day. There are babies who drink every hour for a period of two to six hours and then sleep longer. Others drink every two to three hours during the day and night. The little ones stay on each breast for an average of 15 to 20 minutes per feed. There are also infants who only need one breast to be full. Others need both and drink even longer. In addition, also consider a safe sleeping environment for the baby.

Prepare baby milk with the right water

Usually, the milk powder is mixed with water. In principle, the quality of tap water in Germany is so good that you can boil the water and use it to make baby food. However, you need to know that old houses can still have old lead or copper pipes. If that’s the case, you shouldn’t use that water for feeding babies. Even if it has been cleaned with a water filter.

Some water companies can give parents of young children free water tests. This makes it easy to check the quality. It is also possible to have the water tested for lead and copper for a fee. Still, mineral water is an alternative to tap water. The label should contain the note “suitable for preparing baby food”. Special baby water is also available, but very expensive.

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Food

Goat’s Milk: Nutritional Values and Characteristics of The Milk

Goat’s milk is particularly well-known for its good digestibility and high nutrient content. You can find out exactly what the milk type is all about and what you should consider when buying it here.

Goat’s milk: nutritional values, vitamins & Co.

The taste of goat’s milk is much more intense and tart than that of cow’s milk. Especially if you are not used to the special aroma, you should take the milk in small quantities at first. You can also mix it with other types of milk to gradually get used to the taste.

Once you have succeeded, you can enjoy goat’s milk just like cow’s milk in muesli, for cooking and baking or simply on its own.

Goat’s milk is usually composed of
three percent protein,
three to four percent fat,
and about four percent carbohydrates, more precisely lactose.
100 milliliters of goat milk provide you with around 60 kilocalories. In this way, it does not differ significantly from cow’s milk.
Goat’s milk, however, contains higher amounts of iodine and potassium, as well as vitamins A, B2, and D.
In terms of vitamin B12, folic acid and zinc content, cow’s milk is slightly ahead.
The remarkable calcium content of both types of milk is about the same.

Is goat’s milk better tolerated than cow’s milk?

Goat’s milk is often said to be easier to digest than cow’s milk.

On the one hand, this is attributed to the short and medium-chain fatty acids that are present in large quantities in goat’s milk. According to the Bayerischer Rundfunk, the body should be able to utilize these fatty acids better.
In addition, the proteins in goat’s milk are structured differently. It contains lower amounts of the whey proteins alpha S1 casein and beta-lactoglobulin. Beta-lactoglobulin is the whey protein that is most abundant in cow’s milk.
According to Bayerischer Rundfunk, both proteins are said to be harder to digest for the body. According to a study from New Zealand, this is probably the reason why baby food based on goat’s milk triggers fewer allergies than cow’s milk.
Goat’s milk is therefore a good alternative for mothers who cannot breastfeed their children. This is particularly true if the child has or is suspected to have a milk protein allergy. However, pure milk is not suitable for children under the age of one. because it needs additional treatment and enrichment. Breast milk is always the best food for infants.

Because it is well tolerated, it is also believed that goat’s milk is also suitable for allergies, especially lactose intolerance. However, this cannot be confirmed in general. Since goat’s milk contains almost as much lactose as cow’s milk, you should exercise caution as an allergy sufferer. For some people, goat’s milk is actually better tolerated. However, this depends on individual conditions and has so far not been able to be clearly explained scientifically.

How sustainable is goat milk?

From an ecological perspective, plant-based drinks such as soy or oat milk are better alternatives to cow’s and goat’s milk. Less energy and less land is required for their production. In addition, fewer greenhouse gases are produced.

So if you want to use dairy products from time to time, you should do so in moderation and be careful not to waste any food. It is also best to buy organic goods. The Bioland, Naturland and Demeter seals in particular impose stricter guidelines on farmers in order to guarantee animal husbandry that is as species-appropriate as possible.

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Food

Hazelnut Milk: Recipe, Pros and Cons of Milk Substitutes

Hazelnut milk is now a popular plant-based milk alternative. Here you can find out more about their nutritional values, their sustainability and the most famous brands. We also show you how to make your own hazelnut milk at home.

Hazelnut milk: calories and nutritional values

Hazelnuts are healthy – so hazelnut milk also has many important ingredients. We give you an overview of the essential nutritional values.

Like all types of nuts, hazelnuts provide you with plenty of essential fatty acids.
In addition, they contain vitamin E and B vitamins.
The body also absorbs various minerals from hazelnuts. This includes:
calcium
magnesium
iron
zinc
phosphorus
Depending on the brand and preparation, 100 milliliters of hazelnut milk contain between 30 and 50 kilocalories. For comparison: 100 milliliters of cow’s milk with 1.5 percent fat content also provide around 50 kilocalories.
The fat content of hazelnut milk is two to three grams. Hazelnut milk provides you with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Cow’s milk, on the other hand, contains mostly saturated fat.
As far as protein content is concerned, cow’s milk is clearly ahead: it has about three to four grams per 100 milliliters, while hazelnut milk only has 0.5 to one gram.
As a rule, cow’s milk also contains a little more carbohydrates: there are four to five grams per 100 milliliters. Hazelnut milk usually contains around three grams.
The plant-based alternative scores highly when it comes to dietary fiber: While cow’s milk does not contain any dietary fiber, hazelnut milk provides you with 0.5 to one gram per 100 milliliters.

Hazelnut milk: recipe

If you want to enjoy your hazelnut milk as sustainably as possible, it is best to make it yourself. So you can be sure which ingredients it contains. You also save on transport routes and packaging waste.

For one liter of hazelnut milk you need:
80g hazelnuts
1l water
a pinch of salt
a sweetener of your choice (dates, honey, syrup, sugar, etc.)
That’s how it’s done:
Pour the water over the hazelnuts and let the mixture steep for at least two hours or overnight.
Then add them to a high-powered blender along with all the other ingredients and blend well for a few minutes.
It is best to pour the liquid through a nut milk bag or cheesecloth and catch the nut milk in a tall container. Squeeze out the leftover nuts that are now in the cloth and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
If you don’t have cheesecloth, you can alternatively use a sieve that is as fine-meshed as possible.
Pour the finished hazelnut milk into a sealable container. Store in the refrigerator and use within 3-4 days.
Tip: You should never throw away the remaining “nut pomace”. For example, you can use it to bake biscuits, cakes or bread, or add it to your muesli or yoghurt.

How sustainable is hazelnut milk?

More and more people are starting to replace cow’s milk with plant-based alternatives. As a rule, they give two main reasons for this from an ecological and ethnic point of view: On the one hand, they want to set an example against factory farming by not using conventional cow’s milk.

Dairy cows in so-called “intensive animal husbandry” lack space, fresh air, sun and exercise. Since such an attitude neglects the basic needs of the animals, it often leads to behavioral disorders, injuries and illnesses.

However, factory farming is not only harmful to the animals themselves, but also to the environment, especially the climate: According to the Albert Schweizer Foundation, the production of one liter of milk releases around 2.4 kilograms of CO2, which roughly corresponds to the combustion of one liter of petrol. Plant-based alternatives, on the other hand, cause significantly fewer greenhouse gases. In addition, their production sometimes uses significantly less energy and space.

Hazelnuts: Social and ecological problems

Even if the nuts for hazelnut milk can grow in Germany without any problems, most of them are still grown in Turkey. In order to be able to cover the strong demand for the popular nuts, so-called monocultures developed there. Since monocultures are very susceptible to disturbance, it is necessary to fertilize the trees frequently. Pollutants are also used to control pests.

Another problem is the working conditions of the harvest workers. The harvesting of the nuts is still largely done by hand. According to a ZEIT article from 2014, it is not uncommon for children over the age of ten to work under inhumane conditions.

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Cow’s Milk For Babies: Can Infants Drink Cow’s Milk?

Young parents are often unsure whether babies are allowed to drink cow’s milk. We will show you whether cow’s milk is suitable for infants.

Can infants drink cow’s milk?

The first year of life for an infant consists of three feeding phases:
At first, your baby only feeds on breast milk or industrially produced infant formula.
In the course of this, the mashed food or complementary food also follows.
Finally, the toddler gradually participates in the family dinner.

Caution: Infant formula should not be made from cow’s milk or other types of milk.

Note: Make sure you only give your baby pasteurized or highly heated cow’s milk. As in pregnancy, you should bear in mind that raw or processed milk can contain dangerous germs for the child’s immune system.

Can baby food contain cow’s milk?

Children need numerous important nutrients for healthy development – including sufficient calcium, protein and iodine suppliers. Numerous plant-based foods, but also milk and dairy products can provide these nutrients. With supplementary food, you can use small amounts of cow’s milk or yoghurt, up to 200 milliliters per day, to prepare a milk-cereal porridge. Of course, you can also prepare the porridge with breast milk or formula milk.

Note that cow’s milk does not replace breast milk or infant formula, even during complementary feeding. Babies and children can be allergic to cow’s milk, if in doubt consult your pediatrician or midwife.

Note: When buying cow’s milk, pay attention to the organic seal or the seal for mother-tied calf rearing. In this way you ensure that the calves are also supplied with the necessary nutrients through their own breast milk.

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Food

Soy Milk vs. Cow’s Milk: Which is Healthier, More Sustainable, More Ethical?

Cows are destroying the climate and soy is destroying the rainforest. Cow’s milk makes you fat and soy milk causes allergies. Or? Anyone who wants to consume milk responsibly or is looking for alternatives will encounter many rumours. We did our research: is soy milk healthy, sustainable, animal-friendly compared to cow’s milk and other milk alternatives?

Milk is one of the most common foods and one of the most controversial at the same time – for several reasons. While for decades it was considered essential for our health, today many people doubt the health benefits of milk or are even convinced that it is unhealthy. Others want to do without milk because of their poor climate balance or because they find animal husbandry unacceptable.

But how healthy soy milk (correct: soy drink) is is also the subject of wild debates. The popular milk substitute not only has fans: in addition to possible health side effects, the environmental impact of cultivation and transport and the use of genetic engineering are also criticized.

In the following, we will therefore take a very close look at soy milk and cow’s milk – and also show how healthy soy milk is in comparison to other milk alternatives.

Which is healthier: cow’s milk or soy milk?

From “cow’s milk is important because of the calcium” to “cow’s milk causes allergies” to “soy milk is so healthy that it helps against cancer” – there are tons of claims, rumors and half-truths circulating about the health effects of cow’s milk and soy milk. Some things are true, some aren’t.

Calcium: Is it missing in the soy drink?

Cow’s milk is actually high in calcium (or: calcium). Calcium is a very important substance for building and maintaining our bone mass. A lack of calcium can lead to or worsen osteoporosis. Sufficient calcium intake is particularly important for growing children.

However, we do not depend on milk for this. Calcium can also be obtained from other foods. There is a lot of calcium in green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, rocket, chard and spinach as well as in beans (including soybeans) and some nuts and seeds such as hazelnuts, Brazil nuts and sesame.

Conclusion: Soy milk contains less calcium than cow’s milk. However, there are alternative calcium-fortified soy drinks and other plant-based foods that help meet calcium needs.

Vitamin Content: Is Soy Milk Healthy Enough?

Both cow’s milk and soy milk contain some important vitamins. However, soy milk lacks the important vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 occurs naturally almost exclusively in foods of animal origin – and is very important for our bodies. A vitamin B12 deficiency can have serious health consequences.

However: Many soy drinks and other plant-based milk alternatives contain the additive vitamin B12 (also found on the labels as cyanocobalamin or cobalamin).

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Food

Soy Drink – The Classic Among Milk Alternatives

In China, soy drinks – also known as soy milk – have been a popular drink for several thousand years. In Europe, the vegan milk substitute has now established itself as a classic among milk alternatives.

The advantages first: soy drinks are vegan, lactose-free, milk protein-free and gluten-free – so they are also suitable for people who are allergic to cow’s milk. And yet the soy drink is not without controversy: there are also allergies to soy. In addition, it is repeatedly claimed that the plant-based milk substitute contains genetically modified soybeans, that the soy is imported from South America and that soy drinks are generally not suitable for children. Not all of that is true. Here we have compiled the most important facts about the soy drink.

What is meant by soy drinks?

The so-called soy milk may not officially be called milk in the EU because it is not milked but made from soybeans. In retail, the drink can therefore be found on the shelves under the name “soy drink”. The same applies to other milk alternatives, by the way.

Soy drinks are based on soybeans and water. As a rule, the drink is made from the press cake that remains when soybean oil is pressed from soybeans. This press cake is soaked in water, finely mashed and then filtered so that solids and liquids are separated.

The pure “soy milk” is then further processed – into tofu, other meat alternatives or drinks. In order to make them durable, the milk alternative is heated to an ultra high temperature.

The finished soy drink usually contains between 8 and 10 percent soy. The slightly yellowish liquid is reminiscent of cow’s milk in consistency, but tastes more like beans or slightly nutty.

Minerals, especially calcium, vitamins such as vitamin B12, and often sugar or flavorings are added to many soy drinks.

What’s in the soy drink? The nutritional values

Soy drink contains around two percent less fat than whole milk (3.5 percent) and slightly more than low-fat milk (1.5 percent).

At three to four percent, the protein content is about as high as that of cow’s milk, but the proteins from the milk substitute are considered to be somewhat easier for the human body to utilize.

In addition, the soy drink also contains saponins and flavonoids, secondary plant substances that are said to have a positive effect. The calcium and vitamin B2 content is rather low, which is why it is often artificially added.

Compared to cow’s milk, soy milk substitutes lack cholesterol, vitamin B12 and vitamin C.

Is soy drink healthy as a milk substitute?

Are soy drinks healthy? Yes and no.

The milk substitute has positive health aspects: It is suitable for people with lactose or milk protein intolerance. Gluten allergy sufferers also have no problems with the drink.

As a high-quality supplier of unsaturated fatty acids and as a source of protein, soya drink helps to ensure the supply of these nutrients in a vegan lifestyle.

The lack of cholesterol also has a positive effect on people with problems in this area. All points that speak in favor of using the milk alternative in coffee or muesli.

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