by Paul Linsell

Created on: January 18, 2008

It has been highly publicized in recent times that regular cow's milk is perhaps not the healthiest option available for the consumer. Initially the only real alternative on the market was to turn to soy milk. But now all that has changed and there is a whole plethora of milk varieties available. One such milk that has grown rapidly in popularity is Almond milk.

Much of the hype surrounding almond milk is based on the health benefits that almonds can reap and how incorporating this as part of a regular diet can work wonders. Almonds are said to be rich in a number of vital minerals and vitamins including potassium, copper and magnesium. Almonds also contains high levels of vitamin E which is a known antioxidant and as such has sparked a craze for almond milk to be part of a "detox" diet. It is clear that the properties of almonds is unquestionable and that incorporating them or similar nuts such as walnuts into a diet can be very beneficial. As such a milk made from almonds is clearly attractive as it is a simple way to boost your intake and can provide a substitute for so called "unhealthy" cows milk.

Another clear benefit of almond milk is that it is possible to make it at home. To do this you will need to crush and grind about a handful of almonds with a cup of water to make a small amount of milk. It is best to use a food blender to achieve greater consistency and if you wish you could strain the milk to remove any bits before use. An easy to make healthy milk! So why doesn't everyone do it?

Well the problem with almonds is that they are not particularly cheap. This has resulted in many pre-made almond milks actually containing very few almonds and thus reducing the health benefits they might bring. If you opt for the home-made milk then you will end up paying far more per pint than the average cows milk and it could be argued you would be better off simply eating the almonds whole! There is also an issue of taste, and while many will come to like the nutty flavor of the milk some will perhaps find it unsuitable for cereal and drinks and revert back to traditional milks.

Ultimately my advice is that if you are unable to drink cows milk due to an intolerance or allergy then by all means give almond milk a go and better yet make it yourself. However, if you simply want a healthier milk you might be better to just stick with regular milk and start eating almonds!

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