Yes, oat milk can be anti-inflammatory due to compounds in oats like beta-glucan and avenanthramides, which help reduce inflammation, but it depends heavily on the specific brand and its added ingredients; look for unsweetened versions with minimal additives like gums, sugars, or carrageenan to maximize benefits.
Oat milk cons include high carbs and potential sugar spikes (especially in flavored versions), low protein compared to dairy/soy, risk of gluten cross-contamination (unless certified GF), potential for digestive issues like bloating (due to fiber/additives), presence of added oils/emulsifiers, and nutritional inadequacy as a primary milk for young children. Some brands may also contain heavy metals or glyphosate from non-organic oats.
Almond milk will be a better option if you want to choose a plant-based milk option that's best for an anti-inflammatory diet. It has fewer carbs per serving than oat milk due to almonds' natural composition.
People are quitting oat milk due to concerns about highly processed ingredients like seed oils and emulsifiers, its impact on blood sugar (due to broken-down starches and added sugars), low protein content, potential inflammation, and gut health issues, with some wellness influencers shifting to cow's milk or other alternatives like almond or soy. The trend reflects a growing awareness that while convenient, many commercial oat milks aren't as "natural" or nutritionally complete as initially perceived, leading consumers to seek whole foods or dairy for better protein and fat balance.
However, for those sensitive to lactose or casein, dairy can trigger inflammation and digestive symptoms,' says Trueman. 'Oat milk is often well tolerated, but many commercial versions contain emulsifiers, gums and added sugars, which may disrupt gut health in more sensitive individuals.
Drinking oat milk is probably fine for your body unless you're drinking large quantities of it, already loading your diet with carbs, and/or diabetic. If most of your day's liquid is coming from any milk, plant-based or not, that's probably not great. Moderation is key.
Key Takeaways. Drinking oat milk daily can cause allergic reactions in some people. Oat milk may lead to bloating and indigestion due to its high fiber content. Some oat milk brands add sugar, which can lead to weight gain and dental problems.
The other main criticism leveled at oat milk is that it can be a source of seed oils. Not all brands of oat milk contain seed oils such as rapeseed or canola oil, but some do. "Many plant milks—including oat milk—contain seed oils, which tend to contribute to inflammation in the body," said Smith.
Sweet drinks are high in calories and added sugar and offer no nutritional value. Drinking too much soda, juice, or sweet tea may lead to weight gain and metabolic changes that trigger inflammation. Swap out your sweet drinks for plain water or unsweetened herbal tea so you don't aggravate your arthritis.
Dr. Gundry recommends non-dairy alternatives like unsweetened coconut milk or hemp milk, and for dairy, A2 milk from goats, sheep, or specific cows (like Guernsey) that lack the A1 casein protein, all to avoid lectins and support gut health, viewing almond milk as a less ideal C-tier option and strongly cautioning against oat milk, per his {platform and {video content https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QAVMEzqc3yI}}.
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Oils in Oat Milk
Most of the oat milk on the market includes canola oil (aka rapeseed oil) as an ingredient. Canola oil is a low-quality omega-6 oil that's also inflammatory, so rapeseed oil in oat milk isn't an ideal ingredient.
Although oat milk is rich in a variety of nutrients and dietary fiber, it lacks certain amino acids, calcium, and vitamin A compared with milk, which is not suitable for children during their growth and development, so dairy products for children under 5 years old cannot be completely replaced with oat milk (Sethi et ...
Concerns Regarding Rapeseed Oil: The common inclusion of rapeseed oil in many oat milk brands has raised alarms among health-conscious individuals. Rapeseed oil's high levels of omega-6 fatty acids are associated with potential inflammation and various health issues when consumed excessively.
People are moving away from oat milk due to concerns about its high sugar/carb content causing blood sugar spikes, added oils and emulsifiers in processed versions, lower protein/nutritional value compared to dairy, and potential for gut issues like bloating, leading many wellness influencers and consumers to switch to whole foods or other plant milks like almond/soy for different benefits.
Possible gluten cross-contamination: Unless made with certified gluten-free oats, oat milk may not be safe for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Higher in carbohydrates: Oat milk contains more carbs than most plant milks, which may not be suitable for people who follow low-carb diets.
Key takeaways. Oat milk contains essential vitamins, minerals, and fibre, but its higher carbohydrate content may not suit low-carb diets or those managing blood sugar levels. Many store-bought oat milks contain added sugars, which can increase calorie content and affect weight loss goals.
5 Healthiest Oat Milk Brands
Many oat milks use rapeseed oil (aka canola oil), but canola oil is known to be inflammatory. Sunflower oil and lecithin are higher quality emulsifiers. Again, look for organic!
Oat milk has a high glycemic index (GI), meaning it will spike your glucose more than dairy milk or other plant-based milk alternatives with a lower GI. Even sugar-free oat milk is high in carbs.
While dairy milk can contribute to gut issues, inflammation, and other health concerns, there are plenty of. Coconut milk and hemp milk stand out for supporting a healthy inflammatory response and being nutrient-rich, while almond and hazelnut milk provide delicious, low-carb options.
One line of reasoning used to argue oats aren't healthy is that eating them can lead to spikes in blood sugar (glucose). This seems to be linked to the rising use of glucose monitors by people who don't have diabetes.
It's also possible for oat milk to cause diarrhea if you have an underlying sucrase-isomaltase deficiency (sucrose intolerance), and/or a food sensitivity to oats (or something else in the oat milk).
Background: Oat and its compounds have been found to have anti-inflammatory effects.