Rice milk: benefits and harms, recipes and recommendations for use
Everyone knows that milk is a valuable food product. Its use gives the human body the necessary dose of proteins, animal fats and carbohydrates. All this ensures good health of adults and children. However, despite the benefits of the product, due to lactose intolerance and following a vegetarian diet, many people need its plant-based substitutes. One of them is rice milk.
Composition and calories
Rice milk is a rare product. It is not always possible to find it in Russian stores. The same cannot be said for the US, where supermarkets are crammed with various types of dairy substitutes. This is closely related to the large percentage of the population that are strict vegetarians. In our country, people prefer to prepare rice drink at home. It tastes much sweeter than cow's milk, has a pleasant delicate aroma. But the main thing is that this herbal product brings great benefits to the human body.
Pure rice milk is considered a diet drink. Although in stores sometimes there is a product with various sweet additives, which adds calories to it. One glass of regular rice drink contains 110 kcal. The highest quality and most delicious is considered a dairy product made from unpolished brown rice. It lacks fructose, but sucrose comes to replace it.
The energy value of 100 g is approximately 90 kcal.Of these, 0.7 g of proteins, 22 g of carbohydrates and 2.3 g of unsaturated fats. The content of sugars in the drink depends on the added components. In pure milk, there are 12.6 g of them. The composition consists of 20% of important dietary fibers.
Since the rice drink is a vegetable product, it does not contain lactose and cholesterol. The high fiber content makes the drink very useful for people of any age. In addition, mineral components can be distinguished from valuable substances. These are iron, iodine, potassium, zinc, magnesium, niacin, copper, fiber, as well as vitamins (B1, B3, B9, PP, A, D and B12, especially necessary for those who have abandoned animal protein).
Such a mineral and vitamin composition is vital for the normal functioning of the central nervous system, the excellent condition of the skin, hair and nails. An important factor is the maintenance of the desired level of hemoglobin, for which vitamin B12 is responsible.
Beneficial features
As already mentioned, the benefits of rice milk are incredibly great due to the presence in its composition of many valuable substances that can make up for mineral and vitamin deficiencies.
With regular use of the product:
- all metabolic processes are normalized;
- the nervous system is strengthened;
- stress is relieved, pain during menstruation is relieved, insomnia, chronic fatigue disappear;
- improves the structure of hair and nail plates, the condition of the skin of the face;
- magnesium in the composition helps to relieve strong muscle tension, which becomes a salvation for athletes;
- thanks to potassium, the heart muscle is strengthened;
- stool normalizes, intestinal motility is significantly reduced (the product is able to cure diarrhea);
- thyroid health is ensured;
- the fiber contained in the composition controls blood sugar, reduces bad cholesterol;
- hemoglobin rises, blood condition improves;
- there is a bactericidal and anti-inflammatory effect;
- general immunity increases.
Moreover, the product is hypoallergenic. It is also useful for pregnant women, as it affects the proper development of the fetus and prevents the appearance of neural tube pathology.
The low calorie content of the plant product allows you to include it in the diet. A nutritious drink can saturate the body and dull the feeling of hunger. For weight loss, such a delicacy is really useful, provided that there is no sweet additive in the milk, otherwise it will cease to be low-calorie.
Frequent use of such a drink will launch all the defense mechanisms of the body. It becomes easier for him to fight various diseases of a viral and infectious nature. Such a product is especially useful in wet and cold seasons. Despite the fact that the concentration of sodium, copper, potassium and iodine in milk is not so high, it can fully improve the function of hematopoiesis.
Contraindications
The lack of rice milk can be traced, first of all, in a very low content of protein and vitamin C. For an adult, this is completely safe, but doctors do not recommend feeding a plant product to a child in the first 4 years of life. This is due to the inability to make up for the protein deficiency in the baby. Deficiency of the component will bring great harm to the growing organism, therefore You should not replace cow's milk in the children's diet.
In reviews, people claim that in large stores you can sometimes find packaged milk enriched with vitamins and minerals.
In this case, it is recommended to carefully read the composition of the product before buying.
The vegetable drink has a high glycemic index of about 90. In addition, it contains a large amount of carbohydrates. Excessive consumption of the drink can lead to an increase in blood sugar levels. For this reason, this product should be avoided by people with diabetes.
The main rule, even for absolutely healthy adults, is to observe the measure in consumption. Large doses of rice milk can cause nausea, and in the worst case, poisoning. It is also important that the product be prepared from high-quality rice groats in compliance with all technological rules.
When breastfeeding
Products consumed by a nursing woman should be healthy and safe. After all, everything is reflected in the taste and composition of breast milk, which is the main nutrition of the baby.
In principle, rice milk can become a substitute for cow's milk, although it is worth considering that the former will yield to the latter in nutritional value. The reason for the transition to products of plant origin may be an individual intolerance to milk protein. The absence of lactose and cholesterol will positively affect the internal state of the expectant mother. But there are also disadvantages. The low content of proteins and vitamin B practically does not enrich mother's milk, which can subsequently disrupt the growth and development of the baby.
Therefore, if it is impossible to consume natural cow's milk, it is better to consult a doctor.
How to cook at home?
Making a healthy and tasty drink from rice is very simple. By the way, this method will allow you to save money, since the cost of imported rice milk is quite high.In addition, you will not doubt the quality and freshness of the ingredients.
The classic recipe includes the following ingredients:
- 1 cup brown rice;
- 1 liter of pure water;
- natural sweeteners optional.
You will need a blender, a deep bowl for rice grains, a spoon and a sieve. First, the rice is soaked, which is left overnight. If you want to make it sweet, then sweeten it. Then beat the product with a blender (a homogeneous consistency should be obtained). The resulting mass is passed through a sieve. The drink is ready.
There is a method that does not include soaking. In this case, you only need a glass of unpolished rice and 4 glasses of water. The grains are rinsed, poured with water and boiled until they become soft. The resulting mass is whipped to an ideal consistency, passed through a sieve or gauze cloth. Milk is bottled.
Flavoring additives can be vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa or coconut flakes.
An interesting recipe for rice-almond milk. For it you will need:
- half a glass of Basmati rice;
- a handful of almonds;
- 5 glasses of water;
- a teaspoon of sugar;
- a grain of salt.
After the water boils, add the almonds. After 5 minutes, you need to get the nuts, rinse them under cold water and peel. In a blender, rice is ground to a state of flour, finely chopped almonds. Mix all the prepared elements, add a grain of salt. Pour water into the mixture (5 cups) and mix. Cover the resulting composition with a lid, leave for 8 hours.
When a homogeneous mass is formed, it is filtered and sent to cool for 30 minutes. Before serving, the drink can be decorated with berries for beauty and taste.Remember that self-made milk should be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 5 days.
Milk of plant origin is surprisingly tasty. By following all the rules of cooking at home, you diversify your daily diet with a unique and valuable drink. It is only necessary to comply with the norm so that the product benefits the body. Two glasses of the drink is enough for daily consumption.
You will learn more about how to make rice milk in the following video.