“My family recently replaced our lowfat milk with pea milk. We’re trying to do our part for the environment and the advertising suggests that pea milk is much healthier than dairy. I’d love to know the health benefits and drawbacks of pea milk.”
If they come up with any more nondairy milk options, they’re going to need a second aisle for them at my grocery store!
One of the latest entrants into this category is a beverage made from yellow peas. Like soy milk, pea milk boasts more protein than most other nondairy milks. With 8 grams of protein per serving, it’s comparable to cow’s milk. Legumes such as soybeans and yellow peas a also a relatively complete source of protein, although not quite as complete as dairy.
The product I reviewed was also fortified with added calcium and vitamin D to make it comparable to cow’s milk. They’ve also thrown some omega-3 (from algae) in there for good measure, although the amount appears to be fairly minimal.
Peas contain almost no fat, and so vegetable (sunflower) oil has been added to make this milk creamier. They’ve put in enough to make this comparable to 2% milk. Pea milk is much lower in saturated fat, which some people would consider an advantage. On the other hand, it’s higher in omega-6 fats, which most of us don’t need more of.
Like most nondairy milks, this brand comes in a number of sweetened and flavored varieties; I suggest sticking with the unsweetened. Even though the sweetened versions contain less sugar than plain milk, it is added cane sugar as opposed to naturally-occurring lactose (milk sugar).
Finally, there are a couple of gums and gels added to improve texture and mouth feel.
If you’re into “clean” labels and minimally processed foods, cow’s milk has a bit of an advantage here. But if reducing your consumption of animal products is a priority, unsweetened pea milk would be a good option.
For about 2 weekd Ive been using pea milk to replace the almond milk ive been using for years. Now Im trying to determine if the pain i experienced all day yesterday is from the peamilk. (pain around my small intestine beneath my left rib cage…or pancreatic duct which is there also) There is alot of granular pea sludge left in the bottom of my glass after drinking a glass of pea milk. Could it be an irritant? Ive never had this pain there before. It stopped when i stopped using the pea milk for a whole day. Has anyone else experienced this with pea milk? It could of course just be coincidental. Maybe it was the extra bitter beet i ate?
Why not half and half it with one of your fav other alternative. I think I am just going to use the fullness of it for hot drinks and not as a glass of pea milk drink. Just cut it down and over time you can slowly work with incremental benefits?
You are spot on this is hell had a very sludgy protein shake and now my tummy burps
Yeah pea milk gave me pretty bad stomach pains. I do well with almond milk
There is a subset of the population that are allergic to the peas they use in pea milk.
I’m wondering about the quality of the calcium added and how it is absorbed vs calcium in cow milk or other types of supplements they could have added? They’ve added tricalcium phosphate, it looks like.
Tricalcium phosphate is pretty well absorbed.
Too many additives. Drink in moderation. It is a decently healthy option for sure.
Synthetic stuff isn’t the same as its natural counterpart.
The makers of Ripple Milk have a very good background, but still causes some concerns. Has anyone tried that brand… “Ripple Milk”? There was a recall on their “CHOCOLATE MILK”. However, it was stated that it wasn’t because of anything harmful, but yet it was taken off tge shelves.
So has it been found, that anyone had any type of side effects?
Terrible stomach pain for me the first 2 times I tried ripple. Had to stop after that. I do perfectly fine with almond milk though
I had issues with it. Lots of burping and stomach pain after taking a glassful of shake with ripple as a substitute for almond milk. Did this for the second time: today (Monday) and first time last Thursday – merely 3 days apart.
Try this Sweden brand :
https://besproud.com/
There are no side effects like you all described about flatulence or upset stomach with other brands. I don’t think almond milk is the result of such matters either. More likely, something else in your diet, lack/excess of exercise.
Ripple Kids milk caused constipation in my one year old.
I have been using Ripple for a while In January 2021 I had blood tests with a cholesterol level of 163. In June after saying goodby to my favorite half and half , using Ripple, my cholesterol had dropped 36 points. This my personal opinion, I traded 90 calories per tablespoon of high fat to 90 calories per cup of protein. And I use only for my coffee and baking if needed.
Since switching last week from 1% organic lactose-free cow’s milk (pasture-raised, mostly grass-fed) to unsweetened Ripple, I’ve had an upset stomach. I don’t know if it’s the peas or the additives, but I’m going back to the organic cow’s milk.
Try Kiki Milk! It’s way cleaner and made from organic whole foods. It’s also easy on the tummy and has a great taste!
I have used Ripple Unsweetened Original since the last week in January (after the store quit carrying the flax milk I used to buy). Since 2 days after trying it I have had varying degrees of stomach and intestinal bloating which I ignored. Now I am experiencing cramping and constipation also and am concerned about possible bowel blockage from the guar gum. I am desperately searching for something else safe but I have a but allergy and am lactose intolerant.
Typo. Meant “nut” allergy.
Hi! Kiki Milk has been the best plant-based milk for us. It’s super nutrient-dense, is organic and made without gums/fillers/preservatives. It’s also the best tasting. I highly recommend! (It’s for kids and adults)
Wish the brand you’re recommending was coconut free. My kids are allergic to tree nuts. I also don’t have an alternative and Ripple is somewhat accessible where I’m at.
Ripple tastes great and I was so happy that I may have found an alternative to almond (uses too much water) but causes constipation n indigestion. Too bad. I wanted to switch for environmental reasons n the creamy texture.
You might be interested in this podcast episode I did, looking into the claim that almonds use too much water: https://nutrition-diva.simplecast.com/episodes/588-does-growing-almonds-really-waste-too-much-water
Hi! Kiki Milk has been the best plant-based milk for us. It’s super nutrient-dense, is organic and made without gums/fillers/preservatives. It’s also the best tasting. I highly recommend! (It’s for kids and adults)
Is Ripple unsweetened original milk a good option for an alkaline diet?
I’ve been drinking unsweetened Ripple, for several months now, after switching from cow’s milk due to inflammatory issues and becoming lactose intolerant. I’ve noticed that, after drinking a cup of it, my throat gets a little scratchy (no pain) to the point of where I find myself constantly clearing my throat, but it goes away after several hours. Perhaps I may have a slight allergy. Looking for an alternative.
Hi
Try ‘Sproud’ pea milk unsweetened, no guar gum.
it has canola oil as the non-GMO oil additive and gluten free oat oil. . dicalcium phosphate, Vits A, B12, D, B2,
lower in sodium (95mg) than ripple (130mg) but higher in potassium (750mg) than ripple (450mg)
110 calories Ripple per 240ml
60 calories Sproud per 240ml
Closest taste to semi-skim milk on the market. Zero sugar, high protein and low in carbs. Perfect for Keto and low-calorie diets.
I cannot get on with any of the other milks as they taste horrible, I love this milk as I find it is the closest to cow’s milk there is.
Shake it well before use and job done. I use it for, Yorkshire Pudding, coffee, any baking, milk shakes, on my crunchy nut cornflakes, muesli etc. I have never been a drinker of ‘raw’ milk on its own, but this is acceptable if ice cold.
Hope this helps:)
We use Spround – my issue with it is that no matter how hard you shake it, there is a thick pile of gunk in the bottom of my cup/glass when drinking a cup of coffee. If it’s calcium, then it’s far too much for one serving of milk, and it means the liquid isn’t providing a reliable dose of calcium per pour. And calcium is one of the main reasons why I drink fortified milk.
I have had chronic diarrhea and wonder if it is from Ripple?
Hemp Seed Milk is working well for me and my Sweetie. We’ve recently switched from long-term use of Ripple, and feel better for having made the change. The Ripple seems to have caused all of the mentioned problems – constipation, bloating, etc.