Soy Milk - Benefits, Harm, Composition

2024 Author: Rachel Wainwright | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 07:39

Soy milk

Soy milk is a plant product made from soybeans. Experts say that the first production of soy milk was carried out in China in the second century. According to legend, a Chinese philosopher, whose mother lost her teeth with old age, came up with an original way of how she could eat her favorite soybeans without teeth. He simply gave the hard soybeans a more palatable shape.

Soy milk is very popular in the modern world. The bulk of its lovers live in East Asia, where soy milk is consumed more often than cow's milk. There are many admirers of this product in South and North America and southern Europe. It is believed that it gained its popularity in the wake of vegetarianism.

The technology for preparing milk from soybeans is quite simple: the soaked soybeans are turned into mashed potatoes using special devices using the water in which they were soaked. Subsequently, the excess thick is removed, and the remaining liquid is heated to a temperature of about 150 degrees for a short time.

The procedure for making soy milk at home is similar.

Soy milk has a pleasant, slightly sweet taste and light aroma. It is used not only raw, but also serves as the basis for the preparation of yogurt, tofu cheese, milkshakes. Soy milk is widely used in Japanese cuisine. Chefs add it as a broth to some traditional dishes.

People in China consume soy milk with a bite to eat with a variety of pastries, and Malaysians, adding sweet syrup to it, enjoy milkshakes.

Milk with additives in the form of cocoa, berries, carrots and ginseng is also popular.

When buying soy milk, it is important to consider that this product can spoil in the same way as cow's milk.

Nutritional value, composition and calorie content of soy milk

The basis of the composition of soy milk is a valuable protein (its content reaches 35%), which contains all essential acids, a huge amount of nonessential amino acids, as well as a number of vitamins and minerals.

Minerals found in soy milk include potassium, magnesium, calcium, sodium, copper, phosphorus, manganese, iron, phosphorus, zinc, and selenium. Vitamins that it contains: A, D, E, B1, K, B5, B2, B9, B6, PP, B4.

In addition, many varieties of the drink are fortified with vitamin B12 and calcium, due to which the composition of soy milk is close to that of cow milk.

Also important is the fact that soy milk is well absorbed by the body.

The calorie content of soy milk is about 140 Kcal per 250 ml. The content of proteins is 10 g, fats and carbohydrates - 4 and 14 g, respectively. It should also be noted that there is skim milk made from soy beans. The calorie content of soy milk with a lower fat content is about 100 Kcal per 250 ml.

The benefits of soy milk

Thanks to the enriched composition of soy milk, its nutritional value is close to that of cow milk. At the same time, in soy milk, unlike cow's milk, there is no cholesterol, and the content of saturated fat is minimized. Such features of the composition make it possible to use soy milk in food for those who suffer from cardiovascular diseases, obesity, and simply those who monitor their health.

The benefits of soy milk for children with galactosemia are also known, i.e. intolerance to galactose. The absence of this element in soy milk makes it a quality alternative to breast milk. It is also useful for those who are allergic to animal milk and lactose intolerance.

Soy milk harm

Despite its truly rich composition, the benefits of soy milk are often the cause of debate.

Due to the high phytic acid content in soybean milk, milk interferes with the absorption of a number of nutrients: calcium, magnesium, zinc and iron.

The harm of soy milk for men who consume it in excessive quantities every day can be expressed in a decrease in sperm concentration. However, a number of studies refute this statement.

Despite the fact that allergy to soy protein is much less common than to milk, this fact cannot be ruled out by prescribing soy milk to a child as a substitute for breast milk.

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