Canary seed milk: what it is for and how to prepare it

La leche de alpiste is a vegetable drink that is prepared with canary seed and water, being considered as a substitute for the milk of cow. This seed is a cheap cereal and is used to feed parakeets and other birds, and can be bought in natural products stores and supermarkets, in the form of birdseed for human consumption.

This milk of vegetable origin can be used in the preparation of smoothies with fruits, oatmeal, pancakes or even to drink caliente with cinnamon. It is also indicated for the preparation of shakes in diets to gain muscle mass, due to its large quantity of proteins, whose content is higher than other vegetable milks, being only surpassed by soy milk.

what is it for

The consumption of canary seed milk could provide several health benefits:

• Decrease blood pressureby exerting an anti-inflammatory effect and by containing antioxidants, mainly prolamins;
• Promote the increase in muscle massfor its high concentration of proteins;
• lower cholesterolbecause it is rich in antioxidants and linoleic acid, the studies according to studies interact in the metabolism of fats;
• It could help prevent anxiety and depressionas it is rich in tryptophan (2.8 g per 100 g of birdseed), an essential compound in the formation of serotonin, best known as the “placer hormone”;
• As it is a vegetable drink, it can be consumed by vegetarians and vegans.providing them with proteins and vitamins from the B complex;
• Help regulate sugarbeing an excellent alternative for diabetic people;
• Promote weight lossbecause it is low in calories and due to the presence of enzymes that stimulate the burning of body fat, always and when it is included in a healthy diet;
• Improve memory and learning, as it is rich in glutamic acid, an amino acid found abundantly in the brain. Some scientific studies indicate that changes in the metabolism of this amino acid and in the regulation of the brain could cause the development of Alzheimer’s.

The enzymes of the birdseed also improve the functioning of the pancreas, relieving the digestive tract and the swollen abdomen. Furthermore, it does not contain gluten and lactose, so it can be used by people with celiac disease, allergy to cow’s milk proteins and lactose intolerant people.

Canary seed milk should not be consumed by people with phenylketonuria, as it contains high levels of phenylalanine, an amino acid that causes toxicity in these people.

Nutritional information for milk from birdseed

It is important to mention that in order to obtain all the benefits mentioned above, birdseed milk must be included in a balanced and healthy diet.

How to prepare leche de canary at home

If you can find birdseed milk for human consumption in octopus or ready to drink in stores specialized in natural products, however, it is very easy to prepare at home. Its flavor is light and very similar to cereal drinks, such as oatmeal and rice, for example. To prepare it alone you will need:

Ingredients

• 5 tablespoons of birdseed soup;
• 1 liter of water.

preparation method

After washing the seeds in a paste with running water, it is important to remove the seeds in a glass container and the water from one day to another. Finally, crush in the blender and paste with a very thin paste or a curtain gas screen.