Almond Milk Vs. Hemp Milk

As everyone knows, milk has many benefits for the body. Besides providing the body with calcium, it supplies various other vitamins and minerals to it. That's why, milk is recommended to all as a health drink. However, there are some people amongst us, who are lactose intolerant and thus, can not drink cow's or buffalo's milk. Then there are others, particularly children, who do not like the taste of cow's milk.

For such people, there are many cow milk substitutes available in the market, such as, soy milk, almond milk, hemp milk and coconut milk. This NutriNeat article compares almond milk and hemp milk, bringing forth their benefits for the body as well as drawbacks.

As the name suggests, almond milk is made from almonds, while hemp milk is made from hemp seeds. Both these types of milk are made when the almonds or hemp seeds are blended with water, their pulps removed and then finally sweeteners added to them.

Thus, when comparing hemp milk vs. almond milk, one similarity between them is the process by which they are made. Both these types of milk can be consumed by people who have lactose intolerance or those who are vegetarians.

Let's know the advantages of almond milk for the body first. Almond is a rich source of vitamin E, which is much-needed to maintain the cells of the body in proper shape. It contains minerals, such as, magnesium, manganese and selenium, which help in keeping the bones and teeth healthy.

Improving the immunity of the body and preventing any kind of cell or tissue damage. The potassium in almonds keeps the blood pressure normal. Almonds have unsaturated fats and flavonoids, which reduce the risk of a heart disease. Lastly, almonds are low in calories and fats, yet almond milk can energize a person like the regular cow's milk!

On the flip side, almond milk contains certain chemicals, which can prove to be detrimental to the thyroid. As sweeteners are added while making almond milk, its sugar content is much higher than the regular milk. Moreover, researches have shown that nutrition wise, it can not match up to the cow's milk and hence it is not as good for children and infants as the cow's milk!

Moving on to the benefits of hemp milk. It consists of numerous minerals, such as calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc and folic acid, making it a very nutritious substitute for regular milk.

Hemp milk contains the essential fatty acids, which are much-needed for proper functioning of the brain. It is full of vitamins, especially A, D, B and C as well as proteins, making it a perfect food for vegetarians, whose diet often lacks in these.

Some of the other advantages of hemp milk are - it improves the immunity, it maintains the hair, skin and nails in good condition, it is known to sharpen the mental abilities and being fat/cholesterol free, it is ideal for those who suffer from a heart disease or those who are trying to lose weight.

From the above comparison, it can be said that both these types of milk are very nutritious and help in keeping the body strong and healthy. One point where hemp milk scores over almond milk though is that people who suffer from nut allergies, will face no problem if they take hemp milk.

However, almond being a nut, is a strict no for them. Except for this one drawback, there is not much difference in the value both these types of milk provide to the body. So, for all those who can not or do not want to have cow's milk for any reason, can substitute it with either of almond or hemp milk!