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Milk is a drink that tastes good, can be used to enhance meals, and can come in many different forms. You can have milk the traditional way or you can have milk that is made in a somewhat unconventional way, and you can find it all inside of all types of stores. Whether you’re at a grocery store, a coffee shop, or a restaurant, it is very likely you will have a choice of many different kinds of milks, so now all you need to do is figure out which type of milk is best.
When you’re picking out milk for the week, should you go with something sweet, something basic, or something vegan when you’re looking out for your gut health? Gut health can be affected by many different things, and the type of milk that you drink can certainly be one of them. So which type of milk is best for your gut health? Keep reading to find out.
Milk and Gut Health
Milk can support gut health because of the nutrients inside of it. Whole milk will offer different gut benefits than 2 percent milk, skim milk, and so on, and that also goes for the different substitute milks that are available on the market as well. Each type of milk substitute, from oat milk to soy milk also comes with its own set of benefits for the gut, and knowing exactly what those benefits are will help you choose the right milk for you every time, or choose the right milk at the right time for your needs at the moment.
Whole Milk
Whole milk contains key compounds that can contribute to overall gut health, and those compounds can include different cultures and bacteria that can have an effect on the gut’s overall microbiome. If you don’t happen to have any issues with lactose, whole milk is a great option for your gut microbiome. Whole milk is full of bioactive compounds that can improve gut health like whey peptides, oligosaccharides, and immunoglobulin. Drinking whole milk consistently from a young age is something that can also help you digest lactose over time.
Lactose intolerance is something that develops in people after they have long weaned off breast milk and haven’t continued drinking whole milk as they got older. Cultures that don’t have as much whole milk in their diets are prone to higher incidence of lactose intolerance. That is why there is a much higher occurrence of lactose intolerance in countries in Africa where milk isn’t a large part of their diets, while there is a lot less of it in the U.S. where many people enjoy whole milk throughout their childhoods.
Lactose Free Milk
Lactose free milk is the next best option for people who want to enjoy whole milk but can’t do it without suffering in the end. Lactose free milk provides a lot of the benefits that regular milk does, but it is a lot easier to digest, which makes it a great option for people who are lactose intolerant. It also contains different cultures and bacteria that help the gut’s microbiome, but it also contains the lactase enzyme. The lactase enzyme breaks down lactose, making milk easier to digest for people who are lactose intolerant. With lactose free milk, they can get most of the benefits of regular milk without the inevitable discomfort that comes with lactose.
Kefir
Kefir is a fermented milk drink that is thicker and richer than regular milk. When you drink kefir, you end up getting even more gut benefits than you do from drinking whole milk. It is made to be a gut improving probiotic drink. Kefir is normally made from cow’s, sheep’s, or goat’s milk. It is a fermented drink that is filled with yeast and probiotic bacteria. The probiotic bacteria is meant to improve the health of your digestive system over time. It will help improve your gut’s overall health and can heal certain gut symptoms.
Probiotics are live microorganisms found in certain foods that help promote good gut bacteria.They act as food for the microflora in the body, and feed what needs to be fed. If you are prone to gut issues or prioritize having an overall healthy gut, probiotics could be your best method for increasing your insulin sensitivity. Your gut needs a mix of good and bad bacteria, and probiotics help keep bad bacteria from getting out of hand. Probiotics will help ward off insulin resistance while keeping your digestive system running as smoothly as possible. Probiotics exist most in high fiber foods but can be taken through several methods, and one of those is through drinking kafir, which can be found in most grocery stores.
Soy Milk
Soy milk is a non-dairy alternative that comes with different benefits and different downsides from dairy milk. Soy has been found to be gut healthy for a few reasons. It leads to overall gut health in general because of the way it contributes to the growth of more healthy gut bacteria. It especially helps with the production of two healthy gut bacterias known as bifidobacteria and lactobacilli. These healthy gut bacteria can help reduce the likelihood of chronic gut diseases. Soy products like soy milk have also been found to reduce gut issues like inflammation, and even improve the lining of the gut.
Something else that makes soy milk good for the gut is that it is considered to be a prebiotic. Prebiotics are non-digestible food ingredients that feed your gut bacteria. By feeding the microbiome in your gut, prebiotics provide multiple benefits. Some of the things that prebiotics do are help regulate bowel movements, regulate insulin resistance, strengthen the immune system, help balance hormone levels, and even lower cholesterol. And that’s not all. Prebiotics also reduce the risk of colon cancer, lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, and stimulate hormones that aid in appetite suppressing. They can even regulate your mood by reducing the levels of stress causing hormones.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is another non-dairy alternative that supports the health of the gut in major ways. One reason coconut milk is good for the gut is that it contains fiber. Fiber promotes a healthy gut by promoting healthy digestion. It will keep your system regular and ward off constipation. Another reason coconut milk is really good for the gut is all the electrolytes it contains. It contains several electrolytes and fats that help support the digestive system. It is also better for the gut of people with lactose intolerance.
Another thing that makes coconut milk good for the gut is the medium-chain fatty acids it contains. Medium-chain fatty acids are used to make energy, and they also work quickly in the gut. Coconut milk can overall nourish the digestive lining because of all the healthy fats that it contains. Over time, this is something that can prevent gut diseases like irritable bowel syndrome. It also contains a compound known as caprylic acid. Caprylic acid is something that helps prevent candida overgrowth in the gut, and helps maintain an overall healthy gut flora.
Oat Milk
Oat milk is another non-dairy alternative that contains fiber that helps the digestive system run smoothly. The fiber in oat milk will help ward off stomach issues like constipation and help make sure you have healthy bowel movements. It also contains soluble fibers like beta-glucan, also known as a prebiotic. It is used as a source of food for the good bacteria in the gut. And when your gut is filled with good bacteria, it will operate the best. It is a great milk option for people who are lactose intolerant or vegan.
Soluble fiber helps the digestion process by slowing it down. It does this by absorbing water in the gut and making it into a gel-like substance. This substance is what slows down the digestion process, which in turn gives your gut more time to absorb nutrients. This better absorption of nutrients will help keep your gut healthier over time, and it will keep the rest of your body healthier as well. Oat milk can be found in any grocery store as well, so it is an easy to find alternative that you can have each day.
Almond Milk
Almond milk is a non-dairy alternative that comes with a great list of benefits. It is high in fiber, fortified with vitamin D, full of healthy fats, and easily found in any grocery store. It is also lower in calories than whole milk, so you can enjoy a great deal more of it to enjoy the benefits. Almond milk is also a good source of vitamin E as well as vitamin D. Vitamin E acts as an antioxidant and keeps your cells healthy, and that applies for all cells, including the ones that are in the gut.
Hemp Milk
Hemp milk is something that you won’t find in many grocery stores, but it is sometimes available, and provides lots of gut benefits just as well as all the others. Hemp milk is a good source of fiber, which keeps the gut healthy and wards away symptoms like constipation. Hemp milk is also a low FODMAP food. Foods high in FODMAPs are foods high in a type of sugar that can cause digestive issues. Hemp milk won’t cause digestive issues, and because of that, it is often recommended for people with digestive problems like IBS.
Dr. Emil’s Multi Collagen Plus offers different skin, joint, and gut benefits that make it a great supplement to take when you want a healthy gut. It is a best selling collagen supplement that will last a long period of time, and the different types of collagen it contains addresses different parts of the gut. This supplement comes in a container of fast dissolving capsules that will help the formation of the gut lining as well as help the gut’s microbiome. This supplement also offers enhanced absorption so that you can get your benefits quickly.
A supplement that will help you support your gut’s health with or without milk is Dr. Emil’s Total Gut Complex. It contains just about everything you need from a supplement to support an all around healthy gut. You can find this supplement on Dr. Emil’s website or even on other online store websites. This supplement contains probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics, and will target each part of the gut for maximum results.
If you want a healthy gut, there are many foods that can help you achieve that, and one of those is milk. Milk of all kinds can improve your gut health, and that includes the non-dairy alternatives. Now since all of them have some different benefits, it is ultimately up to you to decide which milk will help your gut health the most.
