Let’s get the facts straight about the benefits and drawbacks of drinking Horlicks!
Horlicks doesn’t need any introduction. It is one of the most popular health drinks and a staple of most Indian households. For years, it has withstood advancing times and a growing number of alternatives to remain one of the most preferred health supplements in the country.
A malt-based health powder taken with milk, Horlicks is a good choice for people who require nutritional value in addition to what they can derive from their daily meals. Originally created and known as a children’s health drink, Horlicks has evolved to cater to different sections of people like women, adults, and so on. It also comes in different flavors.
So, without further ado, let’s get right down to business.
Benefits of Drinking Horlicks
Horlicks boasts of numerous clinically proven health benefits. With nutrient-rich ingredients like barley, wheat flour, etc., it promises some valuable health benefits. Let us go through some of them:
Aids Physical Growth and Development
Horlicks is a storehouse of vital nutrients that nourish the body, such as proteins, carbs, vitamins, and minerals. Calcium, potassium, Vitamin D, Vitamin B, etc. They are necessary for the healthy physical development of the human body, and Horlicks has them all! By keeping the muscles and bones stronger, the health drink ensures the body’s robustness and keeps you physically fit overall.
Boosts Energy and Enhances Metabolism
One of the reasons why Horlicks is a perfect fit for children is because its ingredients also consist of carbohydrates and fats, the source of energy in our bodies. They keep your children up and running about the day by giving them the energy boost they need. The iron component of this malt-based drink supplement keeps fatigue at bay. Also containing sucrose, it gives them the much-known energy benefits of glucose.
Another energy source in the health drink is the Vitamin-B complex which is crucial for your body. Vitamin B complex and Pantothenic acid work wonders for your metabolic rate. The combination is a boon for your gut health. Its ingredient, thiamin b-1, also aids metabolism.
Keeps Brain Healthy
The combination of milk and Horlicks is the perfect brain food for children. With a blend of vitamin b complex, calcium, folic acid, iodine, chlorine, zinc, and other nutrient components, it is incredibly beneficial for children’s brain health.
As a health drink, Horlicks attempts to compensate for the nutrients children lack in their bodies or cannot derive from their meals. Drinking a glass of milk with Horlicks in the morning gives them a headstart for the rest of the day. The brain will fully function when it has a plentiful supply of nutrients.
Makes Immunity System Healthy
If you want to make your immunity system healthy and strong, you can trust Horlicks as the go-to product to these ends. Loaded with vitamins A, E, copper, selenium, and zinc, Horlicks contains all the ingredients necessary to make it an ideal match for your immunity system. Vitamin a is also the best friend of your eyesight.
With a strong immunity system, you are armed to fight off different diseases. Vitamin C, E, and iron are a boon for the blood vessels as they keep them healthy. Thus, by strengthening the foundation of your body, the health drink works its way up to benefit the other aspects of the human body.
Makes Bones Healthy and Strong
The bones have lots to do to protect our internal organs and give our body a framework and structure! They keep us in good shape. Thus, upholding their strength and integrity is of utmost importance. It is common knowledge that vitamin D can help strengthen bones. Their deficiency leads to bone problems like rickets and so on.
As Horlicks contains vitamin D, among other bone-strengthening vitamins and minerals such as Phosphorus, Calcium, and Magnesium, it is a great recipe for your bones.
Builds Muscle Health
According to nutrition experts, Horlicks help in taking care of the muscle makeup of the human body. Ingredients with the blend of casein and Weyand noodle proteins help muscle density to thrive.
The antioxidant vitamin E protects the tissues and collagen material in your body. Finally, the protein component of the drink also favors your overall muscular system’s growth and development.
100% Vegetarian Health Drink
Horlicks is the befitting food supplement for vegetarians as all its ingredients are 100% vegetarian. Plant-based ingredients combined with appropriate food chemistry help make this drink one of the best health drinks in India.
Drawbacks of Drinking Horlicks
With no side effects directly impacting children’s health, the food supplement is known to be on the high side with its sugar content, which is its biggest drawback. Amidst the concern of India as the biggest consumer of sugar in the world, Horlicks only adds to the situation. Children tend to become addicted to the “enhanced taste of milk,” which, in turn, leads to a further addiction to sugar.
Can We Drink Horlicks Every Day?
While you can drink Horlicks every day, we would advise against it. This is because of the high sugar content of the health drink that might become addictive if your child has it every day. Such consistent high consumption of sugar may also lead to some health problems. The key is to use Horlicks as a “food supplement” and not the food itself.
Can Adults Drink Horlicks?
Yes, adults can drink Horlicks. Lite Horlicks is specially designed to suit the nutritional needs of active adults. Recommended for those 19 years and older; it is not meant for children. Lite Horlicks claims to have no added sugar but high protein. However, someone with a diabetic health condition must avoid using this product as it “does have a baseline sugar content which may affect one’s blood glucose level.”
Final Words – Benefits and Drawbacks of Drinking Horlicks
The popularity of Horlicks in India can be reflected in the fact that it is the biggest-selling malt-based drink in the country. Feeding into the growing health consciousness of people, numerous health drinks are entering the modern-day market without being able to threaten the position of Horlicks yet.
We hope this article helped you know all about the upsides and downsides of drinking Horlicks.
