With the latest Vegan revolution, many dairy lovers are put in a fix! They love its philosophies, but hate missing their morning coffee! The answer – Soy Milk! Soy milk is not only great for Vegans, but also to those who are lactose intolerant. If you think plant-based milk like Soy can taste gross, you are in for a surprise. Soy milk is quite light, tasty and can be used to make teas, coffees and even desserts. Besides its culinary benefits, Soy milk is also packed with protein, Calcium and other vital nutrients. Read on to know more about the wonderful Soy Milk Benefits.
What Is Soy Milk (Soya Dudh)?
Soy Milk, as the name suggests is the white liquid extracted from fermented Soybeans. It has a creamy color, with an almost water like consistency. The flavour is not over the top and can perfectly replace your milk in most beverages. It is also sweet in taste and can be had without adding too much sugar.
Is Soya Milk Good For Health?
The importance of Soy milk is quite known to health experts. Soy milk is a lactose-free, low-cholesterol alternative to cow or buffalo milk. It is quite nutritious with the high amounts of Calcium, protein and Potassium. Soy milk can aid in weight loss and also aid in better digestion. It is also known for its skin and hair nourishing properties.
Soy Milk Vs Cow Milk:
Organic Soy milk is a product of the plants, while cow milk is produced from animals. Keeping aside the cruelty involved in milking the cows, Cow milk has high cholesterol levels and fat percentage. On the other hand, Soy milk Calcium levels are low compared to cow milk but has low fat levels. Cow milk can trigger allergies, while Soy milk is generally safe even for infants.
How To Make Soya Milk At Home?
While you can easily use packaged Soy milk from a good brand, it is always wise to opt for homemade products. This natural soy milk recipe can get you delicious homemade soy milk.
Soy Milk Ingredients:
- Soy Beans- 1 Cup
Process:
- Soak Soybeans in water and leave them overnight.
- The next morning, drain the water and give the beans, a good rinse.
- Peel off the skins with your hands and save only the bean part.
- Add these beans to a blender along with water.
- Blend until you make a smooth paste.
- Strain the mixture using a cheese cloth.
- In a thick bottomed pan, add the milk and bring to a boil.
- Keep stirring to avoid milk from sticking the pan.
- Remove from heat and store the milk in a refrigerator.
Soy Milk Nutrition Facts:
Check out the nutritional value of Soy Milk per 1 Cup serving (243 gm):
- Total Calories: 131
- Total Carbohydrates: 15 gm
- Dietary Fiber: 1.5 gm
- Proteins: 8 gm
- Sodium: 123.9 mg
- Potassium: 286.7 mg
- Magnesium: 15 %
- Vitamin B6: 10 %
- Iron: 8 %
- Calcium: 6 %
Best Time To Drink Soya Milk:
You can drink Soy milk at any time of the day, just like your regular milk. Some people experience nausea with Soy milk when had an empty stomach. In such cases, you can have it after meals.
Amazing Soy Milk Benefits:
1. Aids In Weight Loss:
The benefits of Soy milk for weight loss are too good to believe. Just replace soy milk from your regular low fat milk! You may see the results in just 1 week! Soy milk is naturally lower in sugar content than regular milk. Cow’s milk has about 12 grams of sugar per cup as opposed to only 7 grams in soy milk. This is why a cup of whole soy milk has only 80 calories, which is the equivalent of skim milk.
2. Nourishes Your Hair Follicles:
Soy milk protein content is quite high, which is a much-needed nutrient for good health, particularly for the hair and skin. One of the best uses of Soya milk is in strengthening your hair shaft! If you want to style your beautiful hair daily, you need to have strong hair. Soy milk helps to reduce the likelihood that it will shed or break. Consuming beneficial sources of protein like soy milk provides internal support to help hair grow out healthier and stronger.
3. Repairs Damage and Split Ends:
Protein is such an essential nutrient that it also repairs your split end! Instead of trimming your length off you better take soy milk which contains rich protein. It has enough proteins to repair your hair soon! Similarly, consuming protein rich foods provides your body with protein, which helps to repair muscle and skin tissue when it is damaged
4. Soy Milk For Babies:
For babies or for some toddlers, soya milk is an acceptable alternative to cow’s milk. As some kids do not like the smell of cow milk! Do buy whole soy milk only not the low-fat or non-fat versions, because fat is important for brain development in children under 2.
Also, make sure the soy milk you choose is fortified with vitamin A, vitamin D, and calcium. To boost your toddler’s diet with other calcium-rich or calcium-fortified foods , soy milk contains them all. serving a bowl of soy milk gives a vitamin-fortified cereal to your child which is a good way to ensure that your child starts the day with the right nutrients.
See More: Soybean Oil Benefits
5. Good Source Of Plant-Based Protein:
People who do not want to have any animal based product and still need a good amount of protein to survive, soy milk is the best intake one can have. The soya milk is provided out of vegetables therefore, vegetable proteins have the advantage that they cause less loss of calcium through the kidneys. It is known that a diet rich in animal creates a higher risk for osteoporosis.
6. Reduces Cholesterol Levels:
Soy protein can decrease cholesterol levels! As in cow’s milk, the saturated fats are unhealthy and increase your cholesterol. The protein in cow’s milk has no benefits for the cholesterol. Soy milk has good proteins which do not harm any of your internal workings. This is one of the best benefits of drinking Soya milk every day.
7. Soy Milk Contains Isoflavones:
The presence of isoflavones is the most important and unique benefit of soy milk. Each cup of soy milk contains about 20 mg isoflavones, whereas Cow’s milk does not contain isoflavones. Isoflavones help in reduction of cholesterol, easing of menopause symptoms, prevention of osteoporosis and reduction of risk for certain cancers like prostate cancer and breast cancer. Incidents of these cancers are very low if you are doing high intake of soy products, including soy milk. Isoflavones are also antioxidants which protect our cells and DNA against oxidation.
8. Improves Breast Health:
As soy milk have vegetable protein which results in good health of breasts health. In fact, some show a lower incidence of breast cancer when more soy is consumed. Because of these findings, the American Cancer Society concludes that consuming soy isn’t harmful and may even lower your cancer risk! Though soy supplements are not good for health as it contains a high amount of isoflavones.
9. Good Nutrition During Pregnancy:
Yes! You can drink soy milk during pregnancy as it is a good source of protein and calcium if you don’t drink regular milk. Also, some soya milk have omega 3 acids that are helpful if you are not enjoying the smell or taste of fish these days! A pregnant woman needs a high amount of nutrients for good nourishment of her child soy milk is a very good source for the same.
See More: Goji Berries Health Benefits
10. Strengthens Bones:
Soy milk is rich in calcium content which is present in greater amount than the regular milk. In order to utilize the calcium content properly, vitamin co factors are required for proper body functioning. The vitamin co-factor which is required to properly use calcium is Vitamin K2. Without Vitamin K2, our body cannot use calcium and supply calcium to the bones. Calcium, in general, improves our bone health and reduces the risk of bone diseases.
People having weak bones must consume soy milk in order to improve bones conditions and this is also important for the babies. Due to aging people get prone to osteoporosis which may also occur due to lack of specific hormones. Soy milk helps to absorb the calcium on our body and increase the bone mass. Soya milk is also a good source of vitamin D along with calcium.
11. Prevents Damage To Blood Vessels:
Soy milk is rich in antioxidants as well as fatty acids. Fatty acids like omega-3 and omega-6 are the important constituents in soy milk that helps to strengthen the blood vessels. These phytonutrients protect the blood vessels from haemorrhage caused by various factors. Antioxidants help to fight against the free radicals present in our body that protect our body from various diseases. Strengthening the blood vessels will provide better flexibility in order to bear blood pressure or any other changes in pressure.
12. Lowers The Risk Of Fatty Liver:
One of the characteristic features of soy milk is improving the lipid profile of blood. Soy milk consists of unsaturated fats which lead to a minimum or zero cholesterol. Unsaturated fats are beneficial for our body. Regular or dairy milk contains a higher amount of saturated fats that increase the cholesterol level in blood. Hence this is an ideal drink for people those who have a tendency of higher cholesterol heredity or other heart diseases.
Soy milk not only consists of monounsaturated fats but also polyunsaturated that reduces cholesterol growth within the blood stream. Cholesterol narrower the inner lining of the blood vessels to such an extent that it can lead to heart attacks. Thus regular intake of soy milk would lower the concentrations of triglyceride in your blood and also raise high density lipoproteins level and reduces low-density lipoproteins level.
See More: Spirulina Health Benefits
13. Wards Off Cancer:
Soy milk helps to reduce any cancer. It prevents prostate cancer in men by decreasing the production of testosterone. The phytoestrogen is quite rich in soy milk which reduces the hormone production. Soy milk also prevents women from breast cancer which is mainly dependent on the oestrogen level in the body. Hence, women and men consuming soy milk regularly or higher consumption of soy milk reduces the risk of cancer. Anti-carcinogenic property of soy milk is very helpful nowadays.
14. Rich In Antioxidants:
Antioxidants present in adequate amount in soy milk which helps to lower particular diseases. Soy milk helps to increase the antioxidants in our body which would fight against many chronic diseases. It reduces the free radicals which cause cancer and also beneficial for liver-related issues.
15. Keeps Heart Healthy:
The essential protein content in soy milk is really very beneficial and effective in preventing many heart disorders. Proteins are beneficial for growth and nutrition. Cardiovascular health gets improved by proper intake of soy milk. LDL cholesterol level gets lowered due to the presence of isoflavones and amino acids in soy milk which in fact improves the condition of the heart.
16. Relieves Post-Menopausal Issues:
A lot of women have been advised to switch to Soy milk for dealing with menopausal issues. It contains isoflavones which are said to mimic the effects of Estrogen in the body. This helps in reducing the symptoms of Menopause like vaginal dryness, mood swings, hot flashes and fatigue. It also supplies with iron, calcium and manganese to strengthen the body.
17. Cures Skin-Related Issues:
Soy milk powder benefits in treating my skin issues. It is rich in Vitamin E which renews and repairs the dead cells in the body. Along with drinking Soy milk, applying the powder as a face pack can clear your skin of pigmentation, dark spots and ageing signs. You can get glowing skin naturally with this wonderful agent. Try it to believe it!
18. Instant Energy Booster:
One of the key health benefits of Soy milk is its role in boosting your energy. Especially for those who suffer from fatigue or sudden loss of energy, drinking Soy milk can make a quick difference. Along with iron levels, Calcium also offers good amounts of vital nutrients to help you revive instantly.
See More: Benefits Of Eating Beans
19. Treats Anaemia:
The key benefits of drinking soy milk are for its iron levels. A cup of Soy milk contains about 8% of Iron, making it one of the best plant foods to treat anaemia. Loss of Iron levels can lead to poor oxygen supply in the body. By pumping up iron, the RBC count gets increased, which in turn benefits in oxygenating all the vital organs. Chronic anaemic patients can reap wonderful benefits out of Soy milk.
20. Moisturizes The Skin:
Soy milk has a good percentage of water, which can hydrate your body. It is also good in treating parched skin when applied topically. If you are suffering from acute dryness of skin, you can apply a layer of Soy milk mixed in your daily cream. This can boost its hydrating properties to keep your skin soft and supple.
Soya Milk Side Effects:
Soy milk also comes with certain negative effects on the body. Listed below are some of the side effects of drinking Soy Milk:
- Nausea.
- Abdominal Pain.
- Stomach Upset.
- Indigestion.
- Chronic Inflammation.
- Itchy Throat.
- Is said to block the synthesis of protein in the body, especially when had at night.
- May interference with absorption of Zinc, Magnesium and iron.
Before you jump into the health trends blindly, you need to aware of the pros and cons thoroughly. Even in the case of Soy milk, the benefits certainly outweigh its disadvantages. However, it is advised to try Soy milk for a couple of days, before you confirm its suitability to your body. Not everyone can get adjusted to its taste on the first go, but when they do, Soy milk can become a part of your life. Cheers to Soy!
