The benefits and harms of rice milk

Rice milk belongs to the group of natural milk product substitutes. The main components are vegetable proteins and fats. Since it contains no gluten, rice milk practically does not cause allergies. However, the required calcium is also not enough. To understand what the benefits and harms of rice milk are, you need to familiarize yourself in detail with its background history, characteristics.

The history of the emergence of the drink

The ancient tribes of northwest Africa were engaged in the preparation of a delicious drink from earthen almonds. The inhabitants of Spain and Latin America liked the pleasant cooling liquid. The main product for making milk was difficult to find, so vegetable seeds (pumpkin, melon) were used as substitutes. As the search for the main ingredient continued, gradually the dietary drink began to be prepared from rice, peanuts, and almonds.

Today, consumers drink rice milk not only because of lactose intolerance, but also because of allergies or personal beliefs. Lovers of natural milk also liked the drink, because it is an additional source of useful elements.

Composition and calorie content

With a low caloric value (50 kcal), rice milk has a high nutritional value. 100 g of product contains approximately 1.0 g of protein, 10 g of carbohydrates and 0.5 g of unsaturated fat. Rice is rich in micro and macro elements, vitamins. The quality indicators of rice milk depend on the type of grain product, the percentage of ingredients. On average, 100 ml contains:

Manufacturers of natural milk substitutes tend to fortify finished products. 100 ml already contains 120 mg of calcium.

The benefits of rice milk

The product can be classified as dietary. Provided that the composition does not include sugar. The main advantages of the drink: slows down aging, restores skin elasticity, regulates metabolism, heals the digestive system, and normalizes cholesterol levels.

Slimming

The fat content of rice milk is very low. At the same time, this product facilitates the digestion process, which contributes to the body's weight loss.

To unload the body

Rice groats are high in starch (approximately 85% dry matter). Moreover, multifaceted rice starch granules have very small sizes - 2-10 microns. This type of starch is easily digestible and therefore milk is a valuable dietary drink.

The benefits of the drink are evident due to the dietary qualities of rice. Grains with a special porous structure are easy to digest. Therefore, for people with disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, rice milk perfectly diversifies the diet. It is well known that rice lowers the acidity of gastric juice, absorbs fats and toxins.

For skin

Rice is a source of squalene (stimulates collagen production), linoleic acid. It is thanks to collagen that the skin becomes elastic, smoothed and rejuvenated. Antioxidants improve blood circulation, slow down aging. Rice milk is an excellent skin protection against harmful ultraviolet radiation.

Rice milk as a substitute for cow

Rice drink fits perfectly into the system of vegetarian food, therefore it is in great demand in the USA (where there are many vegetarians), India.

But when choosing rice milk, one must take into account the low protein content in it, and vegetable one. After all, animal protein contained in natural milk is richer in amino acids than vegetable protein. It should be taken into account that the fat content in rice milk is lower than in cow milk. Thanks to this, with the rice drink, less cholesterol, which is harmful to the cardiovascular system, enters the body.

Rice milk harm

The main disadvantage of the product is its high arsenic content. The dose of the harmful element does not pose a threat to adults. However, children under the age of 4.5 may be affected, especially with regular consumption of the drink.

So far, the exact cause of this dangerous substance entering the grain has not been established. But it is assumed that this may be due to the peculiarities of agricultural technology. After all, rice is a moisture-loving crop and is grown on flooded grounds. The absorbency of the roots is increased, which increases the likelihood of arsenic in the grains.

Recipe and cooking process

To make their own drink, choose non-sticky rice varieties. In the general mass of recipes, there are two ways to make rice milk (from dry or boiled grains).

Pour 100 g of boiled rice into 0.5 l of water. The mixture is poured into a stationary blender and whipped / ground until smooth. If the technique is not very powerful, then small rice grains may remain in the drink. It is possible to get rid of them by the usual filtering of the drink.

Fry 100 g of rice in a dry frying pan for several minutes. Then the grains are poured with water (500 ml filtered / boiled) and kept for 10 hours to swell. The mixture is also ground in a blender.

To diversify the taste of milk in an interesting way, different spices are added: vanilla, cinnamon, cocoa powder, nutmeg. For lovers of sweet taste, it is recommended to add a date or a teaspoon of your favorite syrup when whipping.

Real gourmets prepare milk from the "king of rice" - Basmati. Long and thin grains are distinguished by their original taste and peculiar aroma. The right set of products: ¾ a glass of grains, some peeled almonds, cardamom (about 6 boxes), a fourth of a glass of sugar, 6 glasses of water and a small pinch of sea salt.

Cooking steps:

• Almonds and rice are finely chopped separately. You can use a blender, but a coffee grinder will do the job better.
• Cardamom is ground with a knife and mixed with salt, rice, almonds.
• The dry mixture is poured with 4 glasses of water and left to infuse for about 8 hours.
• Then the mixture is whipped in a blender and gradually add 2 more cups of water.
• The homogeneous mass is filtered and placed in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

In summer, fresh berries (strawberries, raspberries, currants) will enrich the taste of the rice drink.

Recommendations for preparation, storage and use

On the shelves, there are different types of this culture, differing in the method of processing the grains. The least useful is white rice, which is thoroughly peeled from shells and husks. It boils down quickly, sticks easily, and therefore is not suitable for preparing milk.

The peculiarity of parboiled grain is that the shell is not removed.And when processing the fruits of cereals with steam, some of the nutrients pass into them. Rice stands out with a yellowish color, does not boil over and has a pleasant taste. It makes a great drink.

Brown rice is a grain that has not been peeled off. Such cereals are rich in coarse fiber. It takes longer to cook, however, the body spends more time on assimilation. Therefore, it is easy to get enough of a small portion of milk.

A few wishes for the production and use of rice milk:

• the finished product is stored in the refrigerator for less than five days;
• if you change the proportions of products, then it is easy to adjust the saturation of the drink. If you put more rice, the mixture will be thicker. To create a lighter drink, take less rice;
• clean grains are not additionally washed. This makes the milk thicker;
• the rice product is good for making puddings or thickening milk sauces.

You should not get carried away with a drink. It is harmless to drink 1-2 glasses a day.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of rice milk, like any product, are determined by the quality and ratio of ingredients, the number of servings. It is recommended to show a sense of proportion. But it cannot be denied that the drink originally enriches the diet of both vegetarians and lovers of natural milk. And cooking takes very little time.