Oat milk “raises your blood sugar as much as drinking a Coke.”
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No, oat milk does not raise blood sugar as fast as Coke
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- Maltose, the type of sugar in oat milk, has a higher glycemic index than other sugars, which means its consumption can affect blood sugar levels more quickly.
- But the rate at which blood sugar rises is affected by factors other than glycemic load, including protein, fat and fiber content.
- One 8-ounce serving of oat milk has about 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein and 5.5 grams of fat. A 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola has no protein, fat or fiber.
You can keep drinking your oat milk latte. An Instagram video claims the dairy substitute is more unhealthy for blood sugar than Coca-Cola, but experts say that is misleading.
In the Jan. 22 Instagram video, Dave Asprey, author of The Bulletproof Diet, a book criticized for offering nutrition advice without scientific backing, says oat milk "raises your blood sugar as much as drinking a Coke."
The video was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
One serving of oat milk contains significantly less sugar than a can of Coca-Cola. A 12-ounce can of Coke has 39 grams of sugar, while popular brand Oatly milk contains 7 grams of sugar in an 8-ounce serving of its "original" oat milk product. Other oat milk brands such as Planet Oat and Chobani have 4 grams of sugar and 7 grams of sugar per 8-ounce cup, respectively, in their "original" products.
The blood sugar claim appears to be related to the type of sugar in oat milk, maltose, which has a higher glycemic index than other types of sugars. Glycemic index measures how quickly a food affects your blood sugar level.
According to the glycemic index guide, oat milk has a glycemic index of 69, while Coke has a glycemic index of 60.
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But a nutrient’s glycemic load is not the only determinant of how much your blood sugar will rise when you consume a product that contains that nutrient, said Jen Cadenhead, a nutrition scientist at Columbia University’s Teachers College.
Cadenhead said the fiber in oat milk can "slow the absorption of sugars so that food and beverages are better digested."
Other contents such as protein and fat can also slow blood sugar rise.
One 8-ounce cup of Oatly contains 3 grams of fiber, 3 grams of protein and 5.5 grams of fat. By comparison, a 12-ounce can of Coke has zero grams of protein, fat and fiber.
A 2015 study by the Weizmann Institute of Science found that the rate at which a person’s blood sugar rises in response to food intake varies from person to person based on factors such as an individual’s gut microbes, sleep patterns and exercise routines.
We rate the claim that oat milk "raises blood sugar as much as drinking a Coke" False.
Our Sources
Instagram post (archived), Jan. 23, 2024
Coca-Cola Co., "How much sugar is in Coca-Cola," accessed Jan. 30, 2024
U.S. News & World Report, "The Bulletproof Diet is anything but," Dec. 24, 2014
Vox News, "The Bulletproof Diet is everything wrong with eating in America," Dec. 19, 2014
Oatly, "Original oatmilk," accessed Jan. 30, 2024
Planet Oat, "Original oatmilk," accessed Jan. 30, 2024
Chobani, "Chobani Oatmilk Original," accessed Jan. 30, 2024
Science Direct, "Glycemic Index," accessed Jan. 30, 2024
Oatly, "Random answers," accessed Jan. 30, 2024
Glycemic Index Guide, "Oat milk (raw)," accessed Jan. 30, 2024
Glycemic Index Guide, "Soft drinks (soda, cola)," accessed Jan. 30, 2024
Science Direct, "The effects of fat and protein on glycemic responses in nondiabetic humans vary with waist circumference, fasting plasma insulin and dietary fiber intake," Feb. 10, 2023
Silk, "Original Coconutmilk", accessed Jan. 30, 2024
Phone interview with Dr. Jen Cadenhead, Jan. 30, 2024
Science Daily, "Blood sugar levels in response to foods are highly individual," Jan. 30, 2024
Verify, "Claim that oat milk has more sugar than Coca-Cola is misleading." April 23, 2021
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No, oat milk does not raise blood sugar as fast as Coke
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