Oat Milk & Blood Sugar | Does it Spike Blood Glucose Levels? (2024)

FAQs

Oat Milk & Blood Sugar | Does it Spike Blood Glucose Levels? ›

This evidence suggests that while oat milk may moderately raise blood sugar levels, its impact is comparable to that of cow's milk and other common foods.

While oats are whole grain and beneficial in many ways, he says, the process of making oat milk breaks down the starches, potentially making them quicker to digest and possibly leading to faster spikes in glucose levels.

Goat's milk: Goat's milk contains less lactose than cow's milk, which means that it may be less likely to cause spikes in blood sugar levels.

Eating oatmeal can spike blood sugar levels if you choose instant oatmeal with added sugar or consume too much at once. Oatmeal may negatively affect health in those with gastroparesis, a health condition that causes delayed gastric emptying.

Oat milk may cause side effects like gas and bloat. Additionally, it may also interact with medications used for diabetes and may cause the blood sugar levels to go too low.

Better for Blood Sugar Management: Unsweetened almond and oat milk are equally beneficial for blood sugar management. However, the lower carbohydrate content in almond milk makes it a better option because fewer carbs lead to fewer blood sugar spikes.

Low-fat, skim or 1% cow's milk are healthier options compared to 2% or whole milk. They contain less fat. “If you can't have cow's milk, soy milk and rice milk are often the healthiest milk for gut health – especially for people with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation,” Park said.

If an individual needs to limit their sugar intake, unsweetened almond milk is a good choice as it contains almost no sugar. In comparison, rice milk contains comparable sugar to cow's milk. Milk products with added sugar can contain extremely high levels.

Water is the best all-round drink. If your family likes flavoured waters, make your own by adding a squeeze of lemon or lime, or strawberries.

“Whole milk is the least processed and most nutrient-dense of traditional dairy options. The fat and protein content can help stabilize blood glucose levels and prevent rapid absorption of the carbohydrates naturally found in milk.”

What breakfast won't spike blood sugar? ›

When you combine reasonable portion sizes of carbohydrates with protein, fat, and fiber, your morning bowl will have less impact on blood sugar. This is because these nutrients help slow the digestion of carbohydrates and curb the release of glucose in the bloodstream.

Natural peanut butter and peanuts are low glycemic index (GI) foods. This means that when a person eats it, their blood sugar levels should not rise suddenly or too high.

In conclusion, while oat milk does raise blood sugar levels (like all foods), its overall impact on blood sugar levels is considered low/medium based on GL & GI data. Individuals with specific dietary concerns should always consult healthcare professionals to determine the best choices for their health needs.

The health benefits that have been linked to oat milk are widespread. They range from giving you a healthy skin glow and stronger hair and nails, to boosting Vitamin B, calcium and dietary fibre levels. It can also fill you up for longer too.

Oat milk also contains fibre – no bad thing in itself, as it "promotes bowel regularity", said the i news site, but if you're sensitive to fibre or simply drink too much, it "can lead to bloating and gassiness".

Maltose, the type of natural sugar in oat milk, has a higher glycemic index. The complaint about oat milk is that is contains several grams of added sugar on the label. That's despite the ingredients list showing nothing but oats, oil, salt, and vitamins. The sugar is the natural result of processing the oats.

Compared with milk, oat milk as a cereal drink is higher in carbohydrates, and only 4.2% of oat milk contains added sugar (Escobar-Saez et al., 2022). Furthermore, compared to cow's milk, oat milk is lower in fat, which conforms to the expectations of plant-based milk.

If you keep an eye on your carbohydrate intake, you should know that oat milk has more carbs than some other milks. “It is definitely higher in carbs compared to cow's milk or other nut milks,” said Sheth. The unsweetened version contains about 16 grams of carbs per cup, said Sass.

Foods high in soluble fiber — such as oat bran — may help control blood sugar levels. Soluble fiber like beta-glucan helps slow the digestion and absorption of carbs through your digestive tract, stabilizing blood sugar levels ( 18 ).