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Pros and Cons of Rice Milk

Fitday Editor
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Rice milk is the third most popular nondairy alternative next to soy milk and almond milk. Drinking rice milk supplies you with many essential nutrients via the bran and germ of this whole grain, but there are also some setbacks compared to other milk alternatives. Below are some advantages and advantages of drinking rice milk.

1. Pro: Great Alternative

Rice milk is the most hypoallergenic of all milk products. People with lactose intolerance or casein allergy cannot have dairy, and those with soy or nuts allergies cannot drink soy or almond milk. Rice milk contains a generous supply of balanced nutrition for those who are not able to tolerate other milk alternatives.

2. Pro: No Saturated Fat or Cholesterol

Rice milk has the least amount of fat compared to all other alternatives. There is only 1 grams of fat per cup of rice milk and all of the fat is unsaturated. Rice milk is also cholesterol free, and therefore it works well for people with dietary restrictions on fat and cholesterol.

3. Con: Not Suitable for Diabetics

Since rice is highly starchy, so is rice milk. One cup of rice milk contains 33 grams of carbohydrates, 3 to 4 times the amount in milk or soy milk. If you have diabetes, rice milk may cause a sudden sugar overload. Therefore, you may be much better off drinking cow, soy or almond milk.

4. Con: Low Proteins

Cow's milk and soy milk have comparable protein concentration--at about 7 to 8 grams per cup. Rice milk is much lower with only 2 grams in every serving. Because of this, drinking rice milk may not be as satisfying in taste compared to the other two, and will not work as well for appetite control.

5. Pro: Good Source of B Vitamins

Brown rice is naturally high in all B vitamins which are essential to your metabolism, circulation and nerve function. Some of these vitamins may be lost during rice milk processing, but most of these nutrients are made up if you buy the fortified products.

6. Pro: Promote Cardiovascular Health

There are plenty of heart healthy nutrients in the rice bran, and these nutrients are also contained in rice milk. The unsaturated fat comes from rice bran oil, which can lower your blood cholesterol. Niacin and vitamin B6 are also effective for this purpose. Rice milk is an excellent source of magnesium, which helps control your blood pressure. Iron and copper increases your red blood cell production, giving you better oxygenation and vitality.

7. Con: Low in Calcium

Don't rely on homemade rice milk for calcium. There are only 20 milligrams of calcium per serving of natural rice milk, about 1% of your daily calcium need. Buy the fortified ones from the store if you are not taking additional calcium supplements. Ready-made rice milk is fortified to include 25% to 30% calcium in each serving.

8: Lots of Antioxidants

Rice milk contains more manganese and selenium than any other alternatives. These are powerful antioxidants that help protect you from all kinds of infections and cancers. Drinking rice milk can also give your immune system a boost.

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