Can Almond Milk Cause Constipation?

Before taking almond milk as a substitute for dairy milk understands can almond milk cause constipation. People who want to avoid dairy products for a variety of reasons can choose almond milk as an alternative. 

Vegetarians who avoid dairy products and people who have lactose intolerance or a dairy allergy prefer plant-based alternatives. 

The most popular options for dairy milk are soy, coconut, and almond milk. People sometimes complain about stomach upset, diarrhea, constipation, and gas, 

However, does consuming almond milk cause constipation? Let’s take a closer look at that can almond milk cause constipation. To understand the relation between almond milk and constipation.

Firstly we will understand why almond milk is so popular and why so many people prefer to take almond milk in substitution for dairy milk. 

Benefits of  Almond Milk

A cup of almond milk contains about 30 calories, whereas the same amount of skim milk contains precisely 86 calories. According to Healthline, almond milk also has a bunch of perks, such as the fact that the varieties brands of almond milk that you get off the shelves are often enriched with nutrients like vitamin E, calcium, and vitamin D.

Almond milk is a good option because it can easily replace dairy and is readily available for the most part. In fact, it’s been linked to health benefits such as possibly helping you fight against cancer and keeping your glucose levels in check thanks to the fact that it’s low in sugar.

It’s indisputable that almond milk has now become a rather popular alternative if you have lactose intolerance. 

Additionally, almond milk is suitable for some but not a sustainable choice for others. That’s especially true if you’re looking at giving almond milk to infants, who need far more nutrition than what’s on offer in a cup of almond milk.

Valerie Agyeman, a registered dietitian nutritionist, told us: “Almond milk isn’t as bad as people make it seem, it is actually very nutritious. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t as nutritious as cow’s milk, but enriched almond milk comes pretty close to hitting the nutritional content of cow milk.” 

This means that as a healthy adult, you may lose weight on account of the relatively lower calories in almond milk without missing out on major nutrients such as calcium and Vitamin E as long as you make an informed choice at the grocery store.

Does Almond Milk cause constipation?

For instance, the likelihood of a metabolic disorder such as constipation rises if you intake too much rich fiber food. Although almond milk is fiber-rich, whether it will cause constipation or not depends on its amount and other ingredients. Take a look at what almond milk is made of.

Almond milk is made of almonds and water. You can make almond milk at home or buy readymade branded almond milk from a grocery store.

It’s very simple to make almond milk at home.

• You can soak almonds overnight and then peel the brown skin the next morning.
• After that, put them in a blender with equal parts water, and blend.
• If necessary, add more water to make it more consistent.

Homemade almond milk is a highly nutritious beverage that is high in fiber.  It is recommended to add a recommended quantity of almonds to water. When 30  grams of almonds are mixed with water, it becomes easy to digest, so almonds do not cause constipation. 

So now understand what is the recommended quantity for a daily intake of almonds.

The recommended quantity of almonds for daily intake is 30 grams. If you exceed the recommended quantity, then almond milk will cause constipation. 

According to Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 1- 23 almonds per day is enough. If you exceed the recommended quantity it will cause indigestion so if you are adding more the recommended quantity in water to prepare almond milk then almond milk can cause constipation. 

Also, If you are adding more rich fiber foods along with almonds and adding too much quantity of almonds in water, then almonds can cause constipation. 

How to Make Almond Milk at Home:

Soak almonds overnight in order to prepare them for eating, and then peel them in the morning. You can add and eat 10 almonds in the morning and 10 almonds in the evening.

It is safe to consume 1 ounce of soaked almonds, because it contains, 164 calorie, 14.36g Fat (73%) – Healthy fats, 5.6g Carbs (14%), 6.03g Protein (13%), 3.5g Fiber

How to take Alomd Milk

Almonds are advised not to be eaten on an empty stomach and are frequently eaten with other foods like milk, vegetables, or grains to prevent Pitta imbalance.

Why commercial almond milk cause constipation

Almond milk does not cause constipation for most people. However, some people may experience stomach issues such as gas, bloating, hard stools, and other indigestion symptoms. Let’s look more closely at how almond milk is digested to better understand why some people may experience constipation, gas, and bloating while the majority feel fine.

Most of the time, people don’t drink milk alone, they add it with some cereals, and sugar or they add more nuts such as pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, and hazelnuts.

In Asian countries, it is sometimes considered a traditional drink for stronger bones, although this is very good for a healthy body. But the fact is, too much consumption of high rich fiber drinks can cause constipation.

If you are taking almond milk with too many nuts, such as pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, and hazelnuts, then almond milk can cause constipation

. If you feel almond milk causes constipation, then drink excessive fluids, do some exercise, and make dietary changes to alleviate the condition. 

If you are taking almond milk with cereal, then stop the cereal. Because some ingredients in cereal can cause constipation. Stop eating cereal for a day.

Eat a few almonds in the morning. If you don’t feel any symptoms of indigestion, such as constipation, bloating, or gas, then it means some ingredients in cereal are causing constipation.

Commercial Almond milk contains preservatives and stabilizers such as carrageenan, lecithin, gellan gum, and artificial sweeteners, and natural sweeteners from hundreds of varieties.

Carrageenan is known to cause constipation and gas in some people. Other components may also not suit some people. So, isolate those by making almond milk at home and try.

Since eating soaked almonds didn’t give you gas or bloating, homemade almond milk shouldn’t give you gases. By isolating ingredients of almond milk or the cereals if you still get an allergy and constipation from almond milk then you may have a nut allergy. Avoid almond milk in that case.

Switch to different non-dairy milk such as coconut milk, rice milk, or oat milk. Intestinal gases can occur due to indigestion, eating certain foods, and a sedentary lifestyle.

In addition to that, there may be some underlying health conditions that might cause constipation.  Rule those possibilities out by making a visit to your doctor. The bottom line is almond milk doesn’t cause constipation in most people.

It is a healthy replacement for dairy milk. It may cause gases and other allergic reactions if you have an allergy or intolerance to almonds and other tree nuts.

How to choose Amond Milk?

When selecting an almond milk to replace regular milk, it’s good to choose ones that don’t excessive amounts of sugar, though occasionally a splash of sweetened almond milk in your coffee serves as a nice sweetener and cream in one

According to Popular Science, the demand for almond milk rose up by 250 percent between 2010 and 2015. However, there is a catch: consuming almond milk on an everyday basis requires you to be a bit mindful because almond milk in general isn’t the same as dairy milk — and there are major differences between brands of almond milk, too.

Basically, each brand will have a separate nutritional profile and you need to pay attention to the labels on that milk carton you’ve been eyeing. UCSF Office of Sustainability explains some varieties of almond milk may cause digestive issues because of a thickening agent called carrageenan, something you should be wary of.  

Unfortunately, thickeners, preservatives, and flavorings that dilute the nutritional purity of almonds are present in all commercial almond milk. These commercially produced almond milk may interfere with your digestive system and may cause bowel irregularities because they contain various additives to add flavor and extend shelf life. 

So, when purchasing almond milk from a grocery store, be sure to check the ingredients list like the polysaccharide carrageenan, which is derived from red algae. These ingredients have been linked to gas, bloating, constipation/diarrhea, and fatigue.

The majority of industrial manufacturers no longer employ it. Tree nut allergies can result in a variety of skin and digestive issues, including constipation.   

Avoid almond milk if you are allergic to tree nuts. Aside from that, cow’s milk is less healthy for the gut than almond milk. 

Conclusion

The bottom line is, homemade almond milk doesn’t cause constipation. Some commercially available almond milks can cause constipation depending on the ingredients. Here are some things to consider: almond milk is not very satisfying on account of its low protein content. Also, its benefits don’t quite stack up if you compare it to an ounce of almonds. 

The latter has six grams of protein, three grams of fiber, and 12 grams of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. If you’re looking simply to get the nutritional benefits of almonds, it may make sense for you to eat almonds on a regular basis instead of solely relying on almond milk.

However, the pros of almond milk are aplenty, such as better skin and the fact that it is easy to prepare at home. All you need to do is to grind almonds, blend them with water, and filter the contents with a strainer for milk that’s rather delicious.

Thank you for reading.