The benefits of soy milk are, in particular, having a positive effect in preventing cancer due to the presence of substances such as soy isoflavones and protease inhibitors. In addition, other benefits of soy milk can be:
- Decreased risk of heart disease; Fight osteoporosis; Help control diabetes and high cholesterol; Help lose weight because it has only 54 calories per 100 ml.
Soy milk has no lactose, is rich in proteins, fibers, B vitamins and still has some calcium concentration, however, it should only be used as a substitute for cow's milk for babies and children under the guidance of the doctor or nutritionist.
Soy milk is cholesterol-free and has less fat than cow's milk, being very beneficial for health, but cow's milk can still be replaced by milk or rice, oat or almond drinks if the individual is allergic to cow's or goat's milk protein or lactose intolerance. In addition to milk, tofu is also produced from soy, a low-calorie cheese that helps prevent cancer and lose weight. See your benefits here.
Some brands that sell soy milk are Ades, Yoki, Jasmine, Mimosa, Pró vida, Nestlé, Batavo and Sanavita. The price varies from 3 to 6 reais per package and the price of infant soy formulas ranges from 35 to 60 reais.
Is soy milk bad?
The harms of soy milk for health are minimized when the product is properly processed, but they are not totally excluded and, therefore, its consumption must be done with caution, as soy drinks contain antinutrients that reduce the body's capacity to absorb some nutrients, like minerals and some amino acids.
Children and babies should only drink milk, soy juice or any other soy-based food under medical guidance, as soy can have a negative effect on children's hormonal development and this can lead to early puberty and other major hormonal changes, in addition, it does not contain cholesterol, a substance essential for the proper development of children's brain and central nervous system.
Each package of soy drinks lasts an average of 3 days if it is always inside the refrigerator and, therefore, it should not be consumed after this period.
How to make soy milk at home
To make homemade soy milk, you need:
Ingredients:
- 1 cup of soy beans 1 liter and a half of water
Method of preparation:
Choose the soy beans, wash well and soak overnight. The next day, drain the water and wash again to put in a blender and beat with water. Strain into a dish towel and place in a saucepan over a fire. When it boils, let it simmer for 10 minutes. Wait to cool and always keep in the refrigerator.
In addition to exchanging cow's milk for soy milk, there are other foods that can be substituted for a healthier life, with less risk of cholesterol and diabetes. See the 10 best changes you can make for your health in this video by nutritionist Tatiana Zanin:
