Most people know these two common types of milk, cow milk, and goat milk. Both of them might differ in taste but they do share one similarity. They both contain saturated fat. That is why people nowadays move to healthier milk for their diets such as soya milk, rice milk or almond milk. Between those three kinds of milk made of plant, people in majority choose that the almond milk is the best. Why? Numerous studies reported that people who consume almond milk can reduce their bad cholesterol (LDL) up to 10% compared to those who don’t. All vitamin and calcium contain in almond milk can help reduce cholesterol.

Benefits of almond milk

There are many benefits drinking almond milk but it also has a disadvantage. Yes, it’s singular not plural because the only disadvantage that the almond milk has is its expensive price. Other than that, it is perfectly good for the body. Listed below are some of the benefits of the almond milk:

• It helps with weight management.

One cup of almond milk only contains 60 calories, even lower than skim milk that has 86 calories. Since calories have a huge effect on cholesterol level, a good eating diet plus drinking almond milk, it certainly will reduce the bad cholesterol (LDL) a lot.

• Good for keeping your heart healthy

Because it is made of nuts, almond milk doesn’t have saturated fat or bad cholesterol (LDL). Instead, it is high with Omega3, a substance that often found in fish (especially, salmon and sardine) which helps to prevent high blood pressure, heart disease and also good for adding up your brain cognitive.

• Rich in calcium and Vitamin D

Although not offering calcium and vitamin D as much as cow milk, almond milk still provides about 30% of calcium and 25% of vitamin D of the recommended daily amount. That amount is enough to prevent many bone diseases such as osteoporosis, arthritis, etc. Not only that, it also can improve the immune system.

• Low in sugar and carbohydrate

With no preservative and additive, almond milk is very low in carbohydrate and sugar. That means, it won’t increase the sugar blood level, therefore; it is also good to be consumed by those who suffered diabetes.

• Lactose free

Many people around the world suffered from lactose intolerance. But they don’t have to worry drinking the almond milk because it’s lactose-free and suitable for those who have lactose intolerance.

• Easy to store

You don’t have to refrigerate almond milk to store it. It can go well with room temperature which makes it convenient and good to add up to your daily intake. You can bring it with you as a company drinks when you do your daily activities, either outdoor or indoor.

Can almond milk reduce bad cholesterol (LDL)?

Basically almond milk, just like almond, contains

• Fiber. Food that contains lots of fiber is good for a healthy intestine. High-fiber food helps bad cholesterol (LDL) to built up on the artery walls. So Almond milk which contains a lot of fiber is a good choice to reduce cholesterol level.
• Antioxidant helps a body to naturalized and removed free radicals from the bloodstream. Free radicals, if leave unchanged can cause disease, so Almond milk which is rich with an antioxidant is good to reduce LDL.
• Mono-saturated fat helps reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) and reduce the risks of heart disease and stroke. Mono-saturated fat also helps to provide Vitamin E to the body.

Those three substances are good to keep the cholesterol level in check. The reason is because when people eat more almond or drink more almond milk rather than meat or dairy products, they reduce the consummation of saturated fat (a substance that contributes to adding up your bad cholesterol (LDL)) and substitute it with mono-saturated fat (a substance to add up your good cholesterol (HDL)). Based on that fact, people can relatively have a healthy body by only eating almond or drinking almond milk without having any changing with their diet.

Easy recipe for making almond milk from scratch

 For those who want to drink almond milk but take a step back and think twice because of the price, you don’t have to worry. Just scroll down the page and you will find a simple recipe for making your own almond milk from scratch.

Ingredients:

1½ cups raw almonds

1 tablespoon maple syrup (can be substitute with honey or sugar syrup)

½ teaspoon vanilla extract (can be changed to any other extracts such as chocolate)

A pinch of salt

Topping:

Cinnamon powder (can be substitute with chocolate powder or vanilla powder)

Nutmeg powder (only for addition)

How to make:

1. Put the almonds in a large bowl and add enough water until the almonds are soaked. Let them be like that at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours. (The almond will look a little bit soggy after soaking and that’s normal)
2. Boil a kettle of water. While waiting for the water to boil, drain the almonds and put them into a blender or food processor (whatever you have at home). Then, add 1 cup of room-temperature water to the almonds and blend them evenly for 1 or 2 minutes. By now, the mixture should have thickened. Transfer the thickened mixture (paste) to a medium bowl and add 2 cups of the boiling water. Let it steep for about 10 minutes.
3. Get a medium metal strainer and set it over a large bowl. Put a ladle of the almond mixture into the strainer and uses the back of a spoon to press and extract as much liquid from it.
4. For the last step, add the maple (sugar) syrup and vanilla (chocolate) extract, a pinch of salt into the almond milk. Then, whisk evenly. For the topping, add a little bit of cinnamon powder and nutmeg powder. Taste and adjust the seasoning until it suits your palate. Serve at room temperature or chilled. Be sure to shake the chilling almond milk first before drinking.

With that simple recipe, anyone can make almond milk in their own home. It is good to drink it daily and add it to your nutritious basic pack for it contains many benefits and also good for a diet. It might take some time to make the almond milk from scratch but with all the benefits, it’s worth your time.