Almond Milk
Why almond milk is anti-inflammatory
Almond milk is anti-inflammatory, mostly by omission. There is no lactose in it, no milk protein and, if the carton says unsweetened, barely any sugar. Those three are what people actually react to in a glass of dairy. Take all three out and what is left gives the immune system very little to answer.
The part nobody prints on the front of the carton is how little almond is in there. Ground almonds usually account for two to four percent of the liquid and the rest is water, so the vitamin E and the good fat that make almonds worth eating turn up in traces. Whole almonds do earn their reputation: eaten as a snack they bring cholesterol down and settle the irritation in the gut lining. A glass of almond milk is not that food. It is the taste of it, thinned right out. Which is why almond milk sits near the bottom of the inflammation scale for being quiet, not for being nourishing.
Almond milk scores 3 out of 10 on the inflammation scale, and the label decides whether it stays there. Vanilla, chocolate and plain sweetened cartons carry as much sugar as a soft drink, and that sugar undoes the one clear advantage the drink has. Most brands also add gums so the liquid does not separate on the shelf, and a minority of people find their gut objects to them. Then there is what the dilution costs: a glass brings around one gram of protein against the eight in dairy, so if almond milk is taking the place of milk it needs to be fortified. Unsweetened, fortified, a short ingredient list. That version is a calm drink and it fits an anti-inflammatory diet without any effort.
Almond Milk on the AIP diet
Almond milk is not allowed during the elimination phase of the Autoimmune Protocol. AIP takes out all nuts from day one, and almond milk is a nut in liquid form. Most cartons add gums and emulsifiers, which are off the list on their own terms. Nuts come back early in the reintroduction, so a plain unsweetened carton is an easy first test. During the elimination, unsweetened coconut milk is the plant milk that fits.
Benefits
- No lactose and no milk protein, the two parts of dairy people actually react to
- An unsweetened carton has almost no sugar, which is rare among plant milks
- Brings vitamin E, the antioxidant that protects the fat in your cell membranes
- Most brands are fortified, so it gives back the calcium and B12 that dropping dairy takes away
Watch out for
- Sweetened and flavoured versions carry as much sugar as a soft drink
- Mostly water, with two to four percent almonds, so no real protein or fat
- Gums are added to stop it separating, and some guts dislike them
- Not an option with a tree nut allergy, and a poor milk for young children
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Frequently asked
Is almond milk inflammatory?
No, not the unsweetened kind. It carries no lactose and no milk protein, which are the two parts of dairy that people react to, and almost no sugar. The label is what changes the answer: sweetened, vanilla and chocolate versions sit closer to a soft drink than to a milk.
Is almond milk better than cow's milk?
If dairy upsets your gut, yes, and that is why most people switch. Nutritionally it is the weaker drink. A glass of cow's milk brings around eight grams of protein and a glass of almond milk brings one. If dairy agrees with you, the choice is about taste rather than about inflammation.
Is homemade almond milk healthier?
It is cleaner, because it is almonds, water and nothing else, and you can use enough nuts to make it taste of something. What you lose is the fortification. Shop cartons have calcium, vitamin D and B12 added to them and homemade has none, which matters if you have left dairy behind.
Is almond milk allowed on the AIP diet?
Not in the elimination phase. AIP takes out every nut at the start and almond milk counts as a nut. Nuts are one of the earlier groups to come back though, so almond milk often returns once symptoms have settled. Unsweetened coconut milk is the stand-in until then.
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