Lifeway Oat is no ordinary oat milk
There are a lot of milk alternatives on the market. If you take a quick trip to your local grocery store, you’ll find a sizable selection of milk alternatives made from plants, including oats. But not all of them are created equal. Lifeway Oat is the only USDA certified organic oat beverage product on the market that also contains beneficial probiotic cultures, much like yogurt and our regular Lifeway kefir contain. Certified organic oats are the only oats we use to make Lifeway Oat and all the cultures are 100% non-dairy and vegan.
Because Lifeway Oat is fortified with 10 live and active vegan probiotic cultures, it helps support healthy digestion, a stronger immune system, and improved mental wellbeing due to the way our gut health and microbiome influence our mind/body connection. Lifeway Oat is also packed with prebiotic fiber from real organic oats, so it helps fuel the probiotic cultures to bring optimal gut health benefits all in one package.
Unlike other products, we also don’t include any added oils, gums, stabilizers, or artificial ingredients—period. So head to your local store and pick up a bottle of Lifeway Oat today! With many delicious flavor options to choose from, there are unlimited ways to use it.
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What cultures are in Lifeway Oat vs. Lifeway Kefir?
Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus plantarum, Bifidobacterium bifidum, Bifidobacterium. animalis subsp. lactis, Bifidobacterium longum subsp. longum, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus lactis subsp. lactis, and Streptococcus thermophilus. Lifeway Kefir is fermented with 12 live and active culture strains, including the following: Lactobacillus lactis, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Streptococcus diacetylactis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus casei, Saccharomyces florentinus, Leuconostoc cremoris, Bifidobacterium longum, Bifidobacterium breve, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis, and Lactobacillus reuteri
The cultures in kefir require dairy to ferment and survive while those in Oat are viable in a vegan environment. Both provide probiotic cultures to help maintain a diverse and balanced gut microbiome.
How many units of probiotics are in Lifeway Oat?
Lifeway Oat is made with 25-30 billion C.F.U. (colony forming units) of non-dairy, vegan probiotic cultures comprised of the specific strains listed above. These cultures work together to support healthy digestion, a stronger immune system, and improved mental well-being due to a two-way communication between our gut microbiome and our brain.
What are prebiotics?
Prebiotic refers to a beneficial type of plant fiber naturally found in many different types of plants or synthetic fibers. Prebiotics help “feed” the probiotic cultures (the beneficial bacteria) they need to grow and thrive to support our microbiome. Some sources of prebiotics you may be familiar with are bananas, asparagus, artichokes, onions, garlic other types of fruits such as berries, and whole grains, such as the organic oats found in Lifeway Oat! Lifeway Oat has no synthetic prebiotic fibers and is only made of 100% USDA certified organic oats. These oats provide 2 grams of dietary prebiotic fiber you’ll find in Lifeway Oat.
Why is there added cane sugar in Lifeway Oat?
We only use a small amount of non-GMO, certified organic cane sugar made from the whole sugar cane plant in Lifeway Oat, but we realize many people are concerned about added sugars in their diet, which we understand. There are 8 grams of added sugars from cane sugar found in 8 ounces (one cup) of Lifeway Oat, which equals 2 teaspoons in measurements (if you consume a whole cup at a time). Aside from the 8 grams of added sugar, the remaining portion of the 25 grams of carbohydrates in Lifeway Oat come naturally found the 100% organic whole grain oats we make Lifeway Oat with! Two grams of these carbohydrates also come from the prebiotic fiber found naturally in our oats!
The reason non-dairy, vegan sources of probiotic foods, like our cultured oat milk (or non-dairy yogurt alternatives) contain added sugars is because they are necessary for the probiotic cultures to feast on during the culturing process. In our regular dairy kefir, the lactose (milk sugar) found in cow’s milk is what is used for the culturing process to feed the beneficial bacteria to form probiotics. In our non-dairy Lifeway Oat beverage, there is no lactose, so we use a very small amount of natural cane sugar to allow these bacteria to grow and thrive. There may be less total sugars in the end stages once the probiotics form, but we are transparent with our labels and list the total 8 grams of added sugar (per cup) we use at the beginning stages of the culturing process.
Is Lifeway Oat the same as Lifeway Kefir?
Technically, no. Our Lifeway Kefir is made with specific types of kefir strains of bacteria that have been used for many years throughout history. Kefir is traditionally made with cow’s milk and kefir strains. Lifeway Oat is non-dairy and vegan, so it’s a cultured oat beverage and made with different, yet just as beneficial, strains of probiotic cultures. Since they are non-dairy strains from a different source, they aren’t technically kefir. You may also notice our Lifeway Oat is more of the consistency of oat milk versus a pourable yogurt, as with our kefir. This is due to the different strains and is what sets Lifeway Oat apart from all other oat milk beverages on the market!