Miracle nut: Why walnut milk could be the best dairy-free alternative
Staff Writer | August 16, 2024
Milk alternatives have been a mainstream option for more than a decade. Ever since soy milk burst onto the scene in the late ‘90s, it’s been pretty normal for there to be multiple milk options at your local cafe or in your fridge at home.
In more recent times, the milk alternatives have only grown. Nowadays, doing a work coffee order sees three or more types of milks, coffee styles and even coffee alternatives as the norm. A soy matcha? A decaf oat latte? A chai with almond milk? It’s no easy job to be a local barista, but it’s definitely beneficial for our overall health.
Industry research, conducted in 2021 by Australian walnut company Vitality, found that 42 per cent of Australian households have a plant-based milk in the fridge, mostly due to the rise of vegan and vegetarian lifestyles. That’s almost half of Aussies opting for a change of lifestyle, including diet and therefore milk options.
But so far, the most popular and widely-consumed milk alternatives have come with other consequences.
Soy milk, for example, is made from soybeans, which although have been a part of the human diet for centuries, also have some well-known (and scientifically) backed concerns. Especially for women. One of the main issues are their estrogen-like effects, with the soy isoflavones often thought to mimic the female reproductive hormone estrogen. For women with high levels of estrogen, and who suffer from ailments like endometriosis, PCOS, acne or inflammation, consuming soy isn’t ideal.
Oat milk, one of the other favoured milk alternatives — especially in barista-made coffee — discounts anyone with coeliac disease, or who chooses to not consume gluten. There are pages of online discussion about oats and whether or not they’re gluten free, but the general consensus is to avoid oat milk.
Then, there’s almond milk. While almond milk doesn’t have any widely discussed health ramifications or barriers, almonds are a “thirsty crop”, according to walnut grower, Jeremy Rorke. Almonds use about double the amount of water per kilogram than walnuts do, for example. That being said, they’re not the most sustainable option for processing.
This brings us to walnut milk.
Having just landed on select supermarket shelves and in cafes across the country, Australia’s first long-life walnut milk, Vitality, is made purely of walnuts. It’s the first of its kind, and given the research into the health benefits of walnuts. It’s wild that walnut milk hasn’t been readily available — or spoken about — until now.
“Walnuts are fantastic for brain health,” said clinical and holistic nutritionist Elise Cowley.
“They support cognition, memory and can be a preventive measure for Alzheimer’s disease. No other nut does this to the same degree.
Given this, it’s unsurprising that walnuts have been dubbed ‘the miracle nut’, when it comes to the sheer range of health benefits they can cover.
So, why hasn’t walnut milk been a thing since the birth of milk alternatives? Is it really that good for us? And if so, should we seriously consider it as a milk alternative? Let’s investigate.
What are the health benefits of walnuts?
“Walnuts have the highest polyunsaturated fat content of all nuts,” said Cowley, “which means high protein and mineral content with walnuts themselves show to help with skin problems, digestion, sleep and even toothaches.
“On top of all this, their high levels of omega-3 fatty acids — which are inflammatory properties — can help reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, heart disease, lower cholesterol, improve blood pressure, cognitive health and just general cardiovascular health as well.”
In short, eating walnuts — and drinking walnut milk — can help with the following:
- Insomnia
- Skin issues caused by inflammation
- Brain health: brain fog, memory, prevention of Alzheimer’s
- Protein, vitamin and mineral levels
- Thyroid issues
- Mood swings
- Weight fluctuation
- Inflammatory gut issues, such as IBS.
Not bad, right?
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Why haven’t we heard much about walnut milk until now?
Basically, walnuts have been underrepresented.
We know nuts are good for us, but it seems that we don’t know — on a mass scale — just how good walnuts are, in particular.
Cowley thinks it might have something to do with their unique taste.
“Walnuts are known for their distinctive flavour, which people either love or don’t. They might be forgotten, or cast to the back of the pile, because of this. Simply, they don’t get their time in the spotlight that they deserve. They should definitely be celebrated more, simply for their health benefits.”
Like many nuts, walnut growth and consumption dates back to ancient times. Back then, the concept of using food as medicinal intervention was all they had. With the evolution of Western medicine, celebrating food purely for its health benefits has gone ‘out of style’, which Cowley thinks adds to the underrepresentation of walnuts as a well-known superfood.
“There’s no money to be made by pharmaceutical companies if we’re simply using food to address the element of our health that needs tackling. However, research shows that a handful of nuts can be a remedy in-and-of itself,” she said.
For example, nutritionists have been known to prescribe walnuts to clients who suffer from insomnia, as their melatonin content is so high that a handful of walnuts a few times a day can actually see results.
“If we cast our minds back even 100 years, food was the main way that we tackled our health issues, in preventive and restorative ways. I think we need to go back to that,” Cowley said.
In short, walnuts might not be popular due to having a more distinct taste than other nuts. It might also have something to do with the fact that we often don’t appreciate food for the power it possesses, naturally.
This gives us some clear indication as to why walnut milk maybe hasn’t been on the market until now. But it also gives us enough information to want to try it.