If you’ve ditched dairy recently, you may be wondering, is oat milk healthy?
It’s creamy, tastes delicious in coffee, so it’s no surprise that people are adding oat milk to their diets at a fast rate. While the health benefits of oats are widely documented, there are some unanswered questions about oat milk that we are keen to investigate, such as is oat milk good for you and whether it’s any better for you than cow’s milk.
Is Oat milk healthy?
In a nutshell, oat milk is healthy - but it has its pros and cons. It’s high in protein and contains a number of other nutrients, but it does contain larger volumes of carbohydrates than other milks, in the form of natural sugars.
“Oat milk is packed full of fibre and plant-based protein, and promotes a healthy digestive system,” explains BSc nutritionist Jessica Overfield. “As well as this, oat milk is generally a really great source of calcium, and most brands also fortify their versions with added nutrients such as vitamin A, B, B-12 and D.”
Containing both calcium and vitamin D, oat milk is great for maintaining good bone health. According to the Journal of Mid-life Health, vitamin D helps your body absorb the calcium, which prevents hollow bones and possible bone fractures
Mina adds that oat milk also benefits hair, nail and skin health. And indeed, a study into vitamin B12, which is found in oat milk, showed that a deficiency in this vitamin can contribute to problems with acne and lead to dry, brittle nails.
There’s more good news for oat milk drinkers too, with research finding that the plant-based product can help with cholesterol and general gut health.
Oat milk is also high in a soluble fibre known as beta-glucans. The National Library of Medicine found that men who drank three cups of oat milk a day for five weeks saw their cholesterol levels reduced by three percent (thanks to these beta-glucans). While further evidence in research journal Microbiome showed the same soluble fibre as supporting and increasing the production of good bacteria in your gut.
Is oat milk better for you than regular milk?
According to BSc nutritionist Jessica Overfield, oat milk is actually not healthier than cow’s milk: “If we weigh up key vitamins and minerals, then cow’s milk is the clear winner,” she tells us. “It’s a great source of protein, calcium, vitamin D and other important nutrients that have health benefits.”
When comparing Oatly’s oat milk with regular cow’s milk, you’ll find that oat milk has five percent less calcium than its dairy alternative. It also does not contain all nine of the essential amino acids (the building blocks for protein) that soy and dairy milk do.
Cow’s milk additionally boasts eight grams of protein in a one cup serving compared to oat milk’s three grams. “So you’d have to drink more in order to see the same benefits from the protein contents, such as muscle recovery and feelings of fullness,” explains Mina.
From a nutrition perspective, there are however some advantages oat milk has over cow’s milk: “Oat milk contains more vitamin D than cow’s milk, which has a wide range of health benefits such as promoting good bone and dental health and strengthening the immune system,” says Mina. The plant-based drink also contains 50 percent vitamin B12 as opposed to 18 percent in cow’s milk.
While cow’s milk may trump oat milk nutritionally, it can be better for some people’s diet and lifestyle choices: “Health reasons aren’t alternative milk’s main strengths, as its real selling points are in the name – it’s an alternative," Jessica highlights. “It has less of an impact on the environment, is a great option for people following a vegan diet, are lactose intolerant or if you have ethical concerns with farming.”
Those with allergies can also benefit from oat milk, with the drink gluten-free and naturally free of lactose, nuts and soy.
Is there a downside to oat milk?
If you’re wondering whether oat milk is good for your stomach, hear this: regular oat milk is bad and unsuitable for those with a gluten intolerance or celiac disease.
This is because oats are often cross-contaminated with gluten during their production and so the majority of oat milk isn't gluten-free unless it is explicitly certified as such.
“Although high in protein compared to water, oat milk has one of the lowest protein contents of all the milk alternatives, like soy milk and almond milk," says Jessica. So if you’re a vegan seeking to add more protein in your diet, you’re better off choosing soy milk, as this boasts the highest protein count of all milk alternatives.
It's also pretty high in calories when compared to other cow milk alternatives, containing larger volumes of carbohydrates in the form of natural sugars.
Some oat milk brands are additionally known to add more sugar to their product during the production phase. This is another big turn-off according to Mina: “Sweetened oat milk can be really high in sugar, so I’d always say you should be sure to check the label and weigh up your options beforehand.”
What are the healthiest oat milk brands UK?
When analysing the different supermarket oat milk options, both experts agreed that Innocent oat milk was the healthiest brand.
“It contains less calories, fats and sugars than most other oat drinks on the market, as well as having a comparable protein volume,” says Mina.
Jessica commended its unsweetened nature largely down to its three simple ingredients: oats, salt and water.
Alpro Oat Original is another healthy oat milk brand. With Jessica noting that it "tends to have more added fibre than other brands on the shelves.”
Depending on your health goals, Oatly’s oat milk could also be deemed as healthier, despite its high calorie content.
“Oatly contains more protein and fibre,” explains Mina. “So it really depends on your own nutritional needs and what you’re consuming in the rest of your diet.”
When looking for the healthiest oat milk brand in the supermarket, you should make a note of the following factors:
“Look for one that is fortified with iodine, calcium and preferably also vitamin B12 and vitamin D,” says Professor Margaret Rayman, whose study in the British Journal of Nutrition compared the iodine content of different milk alternatives. These components are the ones that prioritise getting the right nutrients to benefit your body overall.
Oats are a high-fibre food, so if you’re wondering where you can get the same benefits, check out our guide to the best high fibre foods.
