What will happen to your body if you drink a cup of soy milk every day? Don't drink one of these, it will cause poisoning!

Soy milk is a popular healthy drink and is also known as "plant milk". Many people drink it for breakfast, one cup a day. Some people are concerned about rumors that "soy milk can cause early puberty" and "people with gout cannot drink soy milk". They love soy milk but dare not drink it... What effects does soy milk have on the body? Let's reveal the answer!

Health Benefits of Soy Milk

1

Protein

The protein content of soy milk is comparable to that of milk, and both are high-quality proteins. Although the amino acid pattern of soy protein is not as good as that of animal-derived proteins such as meat, eggs, and milk, it is much stronger than that of cereals and vegetables.

2

Improve cardiovascular health

Soybeans contain soy isoflavones, which can regulate lipoprotein levels, help us lower the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (commonly known as bad cholesterol) in the body, and lower blood lipids. Some studies have mentioned that soy isoflavones can effectively resist the formation of atherosclerosis and play an important role in preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases. [2] The intake of soybeans and their products can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. [3] In addition, the potassium content in soy milk is not bad, which is very helpful for controlling blood pressure.

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3

Regulate hormone levels

As a phytoestrogen, soy isoflavones play an important role in maintaining the balance of hormones in the body. When the body lacks estrogen, it can replace estrogen and bind to estrogen receptors to exert the effects of estrogen. Similarly, when the body has too much estrogen, it can interfere with the binding of estrogen to estrogen receptors and exert an anti-estrogen effect. [2]

4

Reduce breast cancer risk

Studies have shown that the intake of soy and its products can reduce the risk of breast cancer in premenopausal women and in postmenopausal Asian women. Meta-analysis data show that daily intake of 26.3 mg of soy isoflavones (equivalent to 15-50 grams of soy) can reduce the risk of breast cancer. [3]

5

Good for intestinal health

Soy milk contains oligosaccharides, such as raffinose and stachyose, which are prebiotics that can promote the proliferation of beneficial bacteria in the intestines and are beneficial to intestinal health. However, they will also ferment and produce gas under the action of intestinal bacteria, which can cause bloating. This may not be very friendly to people with poor gastrointestinal function, so drink less.

6

Preventing osteoporosis

To ensure bone health, it is not only necessary to consume adequate calcium, but also soy products are very important for preventing osteoporosis. Meta-analysis shows that soy isoflavones can significantly improve the bone density of the lumbar spine, hip, and femoral neck in menopausal women. Other studies have shown that if 82 mg of soy isoflavones (equivalent to 47 to 150 grams of soybeans) are consumed daily for 6 to 12 months, the lumbar spine bone density of menopausal women can be significantly increased. [3]

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How much soy milk is best to drink?

Soybeans are the main raw material of soy milk. The "Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents" recommends that the general population eat 15 to 25 grams of soybeans and soy products every day. If you plan to consume soy products throughout the day through soy milk, you can use 15 to 25 grams of soybeans and add about 300 milliliters of water to make a cup of soy milk.

Drinking soy milk every day has many health benefits, but it is important to note that you should not expect to supplement calcium by drinking soy milk.

Using 15-25 grams of soybeans to make soy milk, the calcium content is 29-47 mg. Many people filter out the dregs after making soy milk, which will lead to further calcium loss. The data of "Chinese Food Composition Table" shows that the calcium content in soy milk is only 5 mg/100 g, which is far less than that of milk, only 4.6% of milk.

Rumors about soy milk

1

Will drinking soy milk make your breasts bigger?

No. Soy milk contains phytoestrogen - soy isoflavones, which are not equivalent to real estrogen. They mainly help us maintain the balance of estrogen in the body and will not cause breast enlargement.

2

Will children who drink soy milk experience precocious puberty?

No. Drinking soy milk will not cause children to have precocious puberty. To prevent children from having precocious puberty, the most important thing to do is to control their weight and avoid excessive obesity.

3

Can’t soy milk be consumed with eggs?

Eat without worry. There has been a popular saying that eggs and soy milk are incompatible, and the reason is that the trypsin inhibitors in soy milk will inhibit the digestion and absorption of the protein in eggs. In fact, most of the trypsin inhibitors have lost their activity after the soy milk is cooked, so there is no need to worry about inhibiting the activity of proteases or affecting the digestion and absorption of the protein in eggs. In addition, eggs are animal proteins and soy milk is plant protein. Eating them together can improve the absorption and utilization rate of protein.

4

Can’t add brown sugar to soy milk?

It can be added, but it is not recommended. Rumor has it that the organic acid in brown sugar will denature the protein in soy milk and affect digestion and absorption. In fact, the organic acid content in brown sugar is not much, and even if brown sugar is not added, the soy milk will encounter stomach acid when it enters the stomach, and the protein will also denature. Moreover, adding brown sugar to soy milk will not look good, and it will also increase the intake of added sugar, which is not good for health, so it is best not to add it.

5

Gout patients cannot drink soy milk?

Yes, but be careful about the concentration. The most important thing that patients with gout and high uric acid are concerned about in their diet is the purine content of food. Foods with a purine content of less than 30 mg/100 g are considered low-purine foods. [4] Although the purine content of soybeans themselves is not low, after being made into soy products such as soy milk and tofu, the purine will be lost or diluted. The purine content of soy milk is related to its concentration. The lower the concentration, the lower the purine content. If you have gout or high uric acid, you can drink low-concentration soy milk, such as 10%, 5%, and 2.5% soy milk.

However, some people may develop gout after drinking soy milk or soy products. This can be determined based on their actual physical condition.

Don’t drink homemade soy milk if it’s not thoroughly cooked!

Homemade soy milk must be thoroughly cooked before drinking, otherwise it may cause food poisoning. This is because there is a "false boiling" phenomenon in the process of cooking soy milk. Soy milk contains saponins. When heated to 80°C, a lot of foam will appear, giving people the feeling that the soy milk is "boiling". But in fact, the soy milk is not cooked at this time, and it still contains some anti-nutritional factors, such as trypsin inhibitors, lipoxygenase, and plant hemagglutinin. If you drink soy milk that is not thoroughly cooked, you will experience poisoning symptoms after a few minutes or an hour, leading to nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. The key step to prevent soy milk poisoning: Don't turn off the fire when the soy milk is "falsely boiling", continue to simmer for more than 5 minutes, and boil again after the foam disappears. In general, one cup of soy milk a day can bring many benefits to the body. It is recommended that you drink soy milk without sugar and try to reduce the intake of added sugar. If you like sweet food, you can add 2 red dates or a small handful of wolfberries to enhance the taste. In addition, homemade soy milk must be thoroughly cooked before drinking!

References

[1] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 1[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2018

[2] Zhang Cuifen. A review of the research on soy isoflavones and cardiovascular diseases[J]. Chinese Food Additives, 2018, 29(9): 210-213

[3] Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents[M]. People's Medical Publishing House. 2022

[4] Yang Yuexin, Ge Keyou. Chinese Nutrition Science Encyclopedia 2nd Edition (Volume 2)[M]. People's Medical Publishing House, 2019

[5] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 2[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2019

Author: Xue Qingxin, one of the first nutrition instructors of the National Health Commission, and a registered nutritionist in China

Review | Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center