Are not a fan of any dairy milk, or are you allergic to dairy products, or intolerant of lactose? Then soy milk is a good choice to substitute for milk. The soy milk doesn’t just have longer shelf life than the ordinary dairy milk, it is also a home for so many benefits. Furthermore, these health benefits of soy milk are so beneficial for the overall health.
Furthermore, the health benefits of soy milk include the reduction of the risk of obesity, cancer, and cholesterol. Moreover, it also helps in the improvement of cardiovascular health and the reduction of various postmenopausal conditions. This is made possible by the vitamin and protein content of soy milk.
What is Soy Milk?
The soybeans are actually legumes that are just the same as some other food items that are specially made for diet consumption. In fact, the soy products substitute a lot of meat dishes and are actually famous for vegetarians and vegans since it has high protein content. The soymilk and some other products made from soy are traditional ingredients of Asian cuisines.
The soy milk may also be used in making tofu, which is actually a substitute for cheese. The use of soy milk actually has its origin traced in A.D. 82 in the country of China. The product is extensively used in some other Asian countries like Malaysia and Japan. Nowadays, the soy milk is popular all over the world. In fact, it is widely available in many countries on this planet.
The soy milk is actually an extract from the soybeans. Various people choose the soy milk because it is versatile and has the ability to replace milk in some recipes. Furthermore, it is also a good source of protein to those who are intolerant of lactose. The soy milk is in point of fact, available in various flavors –vanilla and chocolate. In various countries like India and China, there are some who drinks soy milk that is salted.
Since the soy is cost-effective and gaining its own popularity all over the world, there are various researches that are started. This is to look for some other health benefits of soy milk.
Nutrition Facts of Soy Milk
The unfortified or the original soy milk (vanilla) is actually a good source of fat, dietary fiber, sugar, protein, and energy. In the midst of minerals, the soy milk contains zinc, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and calcium. Furthermore, it also has ample amounts of vitamins like vitamin K, vitamin E, vitamin D, vitamin B12, vitamin B6, niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, and folate. Plus, the soy milk is also rich in vitamin K.
Moreover, it also contains traces of monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and unsaturated fatty acids. all of these and the other nutrients, vitamins, and minerals above are essential for the maintenance of a good health.
Furthermore, the nutritional facts of the soy milk may actually vary. It actually depends if the milk is fortified or not. Even though the protein content of the soy milk is the same as the cow’s milk protein, some other nutrients may be lesser. Furthermore, the process of fortifying the minerals and vitamins is a practice that is very common in producing soymilk products commercially.
The fortified variety of the soy milk is very nutritious and a good substitute for those who eat a plant-based diet or those who have allergies to dairy products. This is since it contains vitamins such as calcium. The isoflavones and protein content of the soy milk in both fortified and unfortified variety are actually phytonutrients. Hence, it is beneficial in preventing various illnesses. One more thing to note is that the nutritional value of the soy milk actually depends on the brand of the soy milk.
Health Benefits of Soy Milk
Here are some of the best health benefits of soy milk:
Helps in preventing cancer. this is one of the best benefits of soy milk. Consuming soy milk may help in reducing the serum estrogen levels. Furthermore, it may also contribute to the reduction of the risk of breast cancer.
Helps in providing relief to osteoporosis. Osteoporosis as we know, is a condition which affects mainly women who are in their postmenopausal stage. Studies show that the soy milk is good for improving the retention of the bone mass and its density.
Helps in relieving the postmenopausal conditions. The soy milk helps in providing relief for so many postmenopausal issues. There are studies which suggest that the isoflavones in soy may help in maintaining the levels of estrogen in those women in the menopausal stage.
Helps in improving the cardiovascular health. Soy milk contains ample amount of protein that is good for growth. Since proteins are made of amino acids, they are beneficial in effectively preventing various illnesses. Furthermore, the isoflavines and amino acids in it also helps in lowering the levels of LDL cholesterol. Hence, truly soy milk is beneficial for the betterment of the cardiovascular health.
