Why is soy milk useful?

Legumes have been known to man for a thousand years. The most valuable and widespread of these is soy, which is often a substitute for animal protein. The benefits and harms of soy are still questionable, although scientific evidence speaks more about its value than harm.

What it is

Soy milk is a white liquid with a light bean aroma and a sweetish aftertaste. It is made from specially soaked soybeans, mashed, filtered and brought to boiling point.

Soy milk was first obtained in China, and today it is more popular and in demand in Asia and North America. Here, it is an inexpensive alternative to cow's milk.

Every year, soybean plantations increase by thousands of hectares, they are used to make meat substitutes, tofu cheese and milk.

Soy milk chemical composition

All legumes are valued for the presence of proteins that are similar in structure to animals. And soy is in the first place in this. Its amino acids are closest to animals, so soy meat, milk and cheese are most often consumed by vegetarians.

The composition of healthy soy milk:

• vitamins B1, B2, B6, E, A;
• potassium, sodium, phosphorus;
• isoflavones;
• phytoestrogens;
• cellulose;
• lecithin.

The beans contain a lot of phytic acid and no cholesterol at all.

Calorie content and nutritional value of soy milk

This product is recognized as dietary for its low calorie content and high digestibility. 100 g of soy milk has about 35-40 kcal. Of these, protein is about 40%, fat - about 24%, carbohydrates - 36%. With such a high content of proteins and fats, the product is not contraindicated for dietary nutrition, and is even recommended for combating obesity.

Benefits of soy milk

The plant origin, the presence of important amino acids, vitamins and minerals make soy milk a really healthy product. It is included in the diet of vegetarians, people with hypersecretion of gastric juice, hypertension.

Useful properties of soy milk:

• cleanses the intestines from toxins, improves peristalsis;
• strengthens the heart and blood vessels;
• protects female reproductive organs from oncology;
• hypoallergenic;
• antioxidant;
• improves the functioning of the nervous system.

The high protein content makes milk a valuable product for building new tissues and systems. The absence of cholesterol does not load blood vessels, which is important for hypertensive patients. The presence of potassium is also important for the normal functioning of the cardiovascular system.

It is useful to include milk in the diet of patients with stomach ulcers, chronic cholecystitis, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, obesity.

For women

Isoflavones, phytoestrogens and vitamin E are substances found in soy milk and have a direct effect on the female body.Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant that protects the body from harmful free radicals. In addition, it is beneficial for hair, skin and nails.

Phytoestrogens are analogs of female sex hormones. Doctors have different opinions about them. For hormonal disruptions in women, especially during menopause, soy will be useful. Her phytoestrogens will make up for the lack of her own estrogen, which means that a woman will suffer less from hot flashes, fever and ailments.

Isoflavones, according to many scientists, can protect a woman from ovarian, cervical and breast cancer. The hypothesis has not yet been fully confirmed, but research in this area is being actively pursued.

For men

Men should not consume large quantities of soy. This is due to phytoestrogens, which can cause disruptions in the synthesis of male hormones. This is fraught with the development of pathologies of the prostate gland, impaired spermatogenesis. If a man has problems with the thyroid gland, it is better not to use soy.

Soy milk during pregnancy and breastfeeding

There are no categorical prohibitions on soy for pregnant and lactating women. But there is a group of factors, in the presence of which it is better to refuse the product. So, it is undesirable to drink soy milk with hypotension and a tendency to low blood pressure. If you are allergic to other legumes.

When breastfeeding, soy milk is helpful if your baby is allergic to cow's milk protein. A woman can replace dairy products with soy, but also in small quantities, so as not to cause allergies and colic in the baby.

Is soy milk good for children

This product can be given to children from the age of 5. It is useful in that it is a source of protein, which is necessary for the growing child's body for the formation of cells and tissues. However, there are still soy milk-based infant formulas that serve as an alternative to lactose-free milk formulas. Soy milk for a child is indicated for intolerance to milk sugar and protein.

It is dangerous for teenage girls to drink milk from legumes, the product can disrupt the balance of hormones and cause early menstruation. It is undesirable for hypothyroidism and other problems in the thyroid gland. This product is less dangerous for boys.

The benefits of soy milk for weight loss

Soy milk is a healthy and popular weight loss product. It can be of different fat content, enriched with useful elements, most often calcium. In dietetic food, it is valued for its low calorie content and high protein content. The fiber in the product helps cleanse the intestines from toxins and eliminate hunger for a long time.

There are specially designed soy diets. They are based on the use of soy milk and tofu cheese. Milk is either drunk or porridge is prepared on its basis. It is useful to drink coffee with soy milk during a diet. The essence of the diet is a high proportion of consumed protein, which is digested for a long time by the body, requires energy and is not stored in adipose tissues.

The use of soy milk in cosmetology

Soy milk is especially good for the skin - it nourishes, tones up, rejuvenates, protects against harmful environmental influences. There are many cosmetic brands that produce soy-based caring and medical cosmetics.

At home, you can make natural healthy masks and soy-based creams. Pure milk is used for washing and rubbing the face for the purpose of nourishing and cleansing. To prepare the mask, the product is mixed with vegetable or fruit purees and applied to the skin of the face and neck. For dry and sensitive skin, add vegetable or cosmetic oil to the mask.In the morning and evening, rubbing ice cubes made from soy milk can help revitalize the skin and smooth wrinkles.

Soy milk powder benefits

If the benefits of natural soy milk are still in question, then you should not expect a good effect on the body from a dry product. If you carefully examine the composition of the dry product on any of the store packs, you can see that it contains a lot of incomprehensible additives from corn syrup and stabilizer to emulsifier and salt. All pure chemistry.

Powdered milk was created to cover the lack of natural milk, but it is used mainly in Asian countries. The benefits of the product are minimal, and the harm can be significant.

How to make soy milk at home

The process of making healthy milk is very simple. First, the washed and selected beans are soaked for 12 hours in cool water to swell. Then, along with water, they are mashed in a blender and squeezed. The resulting liquid is boiled over low heat for 15 minutes with salt, sugar and cinnamon if desired. Then the resulting milk is cooled and stored in the refrigerator.

Ingredient proportions:

• 200 g soybeans;
• 900 ml of water;
• 2 tsp Sahara;
• a pinch of salt and cinnamon.

From such a portion of the original ingredients, about 1 liter of healthy milk is obtained.

Harm of soy milk and contraindications

Despite some of its health benefits, soy milk can be harmful to your health. First of all, it is dangerous due to the content of phytic acid, which partially blocks the absorption of calcium, zinc, iron and other elements. With frequent use, this is fraught with the development of a deficiency of these minerals.

It is contraindicated for:

• disorders in the endocrine system;
• in adolescence;
• the risk of developing uterine cancer in women;
• hypotension and asthenia.

In other cases, when using the product, you need to know when to stop.

How to choose and store soy milk

You can choose healthy soy milk at any supermarket or vegetarian store. It can be of different fat content and with additives. It is best to choose a pure product that contains nothing but water and soybeans.

In a sealed package, the shelf life of such a product is from 8 to 12 months. Once opened, it can be consumed within 4 days. Homemade healthy milk is also stored for no more than 5 days in the refrigerator.

Conclusion

The benefits and harms of soy milk are still questionable, although the Japanese and Chinese have long preferred plant milk rather than animal milk. Occasionally, it does not hurt to include it in the diet, because a complete protein is very important for every organism. But the average European should not get carried away with soy products in general. He is more accustomed and more useful to drink regular milk.

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